Ikuyo, The Clarinet Martial Artist
by Madoka Makkura
Summary: Ikuyo, a clarinet Martial artist, is forced to meet her fiance, Ranma-kun, but when she meets him she can't think of anything but getting him and Akane-chan together. But with distractions thats not always easy... Ran:Aka I:OC PLz R
1. Ikuyou, the Clarinet Martial Artist

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ characters but I do own Ikuyo and Koyaga.

**Opening: Ikuyo, Clarinet Martial Artist**

"Ranma?" she asked as she read the letter. "Who's Ranma?"

"Your fiancé." Her father said as he hammered at the silver flute in the kiln.

"I have no need for fiancé's." she said as she crumbled up the letter and threw it in the fire.

Her father threw the music baton at her. She caught it and read the letter attached to it. "Mother now?" she asked.

"She wishes for you to marry and carry on the Instrumental Martial Arts dojo with him." He said.

"I've never even met him though."

"Now, Ikuyo, you mustn't fight this engagement. It was made with his father and we are wonderful friends. Now…you'll be leaving with Koyaga in the morning." He ordered sternly.

"Koyaga?! But I wished to marry him, not this Ranma!" she protested.

"You'll see, you'll grow to love him. Now…I bought a building in town so you can open out Instrument classes. There's an apartment above it so…no need to worry about a house to live in." he said then he pushed her out so she could train.

"Humph. Stupid Ranma. I don't even know him…why do…I have to…be…his fiancé?" she said to herself as she trained in the dojo. "Ranma?" she thought for a moment.

***Flashback***

"Come on Ranma!" Ikuyo called as she ran to the dojo.

"Iku-chan? What are you going to be when you grow up?" little Ranma asked.

"Me?" she asked as she blushed. "I want to be a bride." She said.

"Most girls I've met do." He said quietly.

"Maybe we can marry. We are good friends right, Ranma-kun?" she asked as she looked at him.

"My father said I already had a fiancé." He said sadly.

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"I don't think I've met her but…I wish I could stay here forever." He said as he looked around at the field full of cows.

***End Flashback***

"Ranma." She said as realization drew her face into a thoughtful smile. "Now I remember the sweetie." She said quietly.

"Ikuyo, you in here?!" a boys' voice called.

"Yeah, Koyaga! What is it?!" she called the boy she liked

"Your father said to get you ready for tomorrow." He said. He sounded oddly sad.

She came out and wiped her face on the towel he offered her. "I'll try and come back. He told me that he already had a fiancé."

"That two-timer! I'll kill him if he ever hurts you!" he yelled as he clenched the extra towel in his hands.

She giggled and got her things ready for the journey the next day.

*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ranma! Get back here!" Akane yelled as Ranma ran out of the house and down the street towards Ucchans' for dinner.

"My god. Why doesn't he ever eat here anymore?" she asked herself as she sagged against the wall. "Like I care. Less things to worry about." She said as she shook her head free of the jealousy over her fiancé.

"Akane! Your dinner is going to get cold!" Kasumi called to her.

"Coming!" she yelled as she walked back to eat her dinner.

_Stupid Ranma, Stupid Ranma, Stupid Ranma Stupid--,_ her thoughts were interrupted by the light knocking at the door.

"Hello, anyone home?!" a light voice called in.

"Oh, we have a visitor?" Kasumi said as she got up and answered the door.

A few seconds later she called, "Mr. Saotome! You have a visitor!"

Genma stood and walked out of the room without a word.

"I wonder who it is." Akane whispered as she finished her soup.

"C'mon Akane. You're dying to know too, right? Let's go see." Nabiki said with a wink.

For a second Akane thought about it then nodded.

*--*--*--*--*

"I'm Ikuyo. My father received a letter from you Genma. Long time no see." Ikuyo said. 

She had black hair up to her waist and long bangs which fell across the sides of her face and in front of her shoulders. She had a red kimono top on with blue flowers on it which had a red fabric belt tied around her waist to keep up her blue jeans which were rolled up at the bottom so they didn't get muddy (run-on sentence? I care not). 

She had a black clarinet on her back and across her chest, in a fashion like Ukyo's own spatulas, she held small wooden reeds.

"Ikuyo. I sent that letter years ago." Genma said politely.

"Uh…well…mail comes slowly out in China." She said trying to regain her composer. "Is Ranma-kun here?" she asked as she looked around.

"Nope. He want to Ucchan's." Akane said gruffly.

"Ucchan's? I've never been here. May you show me the way?" she asked.

"I will." Nabiki said. "For a cheap—"

"Nabiki!" Akane said as she elbowed her sister. "I'll show you the way."

"Thank you…uh…what's your name?" she asked.

"Akane Tendo." She said as she stepped into her shoes and gestured for the girl to follow.

The girl had shoes like Raman's on and when she followed Akane she walked along the fence.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but those shoes help you keep your grip do they not?" Akane asked politely. 

"Yeah. I need these shoes because most of the field I live on is cliffs and sharp rocks. We have yet to clear them away." She explained.

"Oh." After a long silence she worked up the courage to ask, "What's your relationship with Ranma?"

"He's my fiancé. We were engaged when we were about twelve years old. We were really good friends and he said he'd marry me." She explained. "You must be his fiancé too. I can tell you're concerned by the shape of your mouth." She said with a wink.

"Am I that obvious?" Akane asked. For some reason she felt comforted with this girl, like she could say anything she wanted to, not like with Ranma's other fiancé's.

"You love Ranma don't you?" Ikuyo asked sadly.

"I-I don't know. Sometimes I think I do then other times I don't. I don't know what I feel." She said as Ikuyo jumped down next to her.

Ikuyo put her arm around her shoulder. "You'll know. Some time you'll know." She reassured her.

"Aren't you going to fight over him like all his other fiancé's?" Akane asked. _I feel like a fool for asking that,_ she thought as she kicked herself.

"Maybe. When I see how he is. I'll fight over him until you tell him your true feelings." She said.

"Thanks. Oh, here's Ucchan's." she said as they stopped in front of Ukyo's Okonomiyaki restaurant. She turned to leave but Ikuyo pulled her in with her.

"Ranma sweetie!" she called in a girlish voice.

Ranma slowly turned around with his Okonomiyaki pancake in his mouth. It dropped onto the plate when he saw who it was.

"Ikuyo." He said slowly.

"Yup. Your nice fiancé here showed me the way to my love." Ikuyo said as she winked down at Akane.

_Ikuyo isn't any where near that of Shampoo, Kodachi, orUkyo's jealousy. She seems like she's having fun,_ Akane thought. 

Ikuyo let go of Akane and pushed her to the stool next to Ranma's.

"When did you get here?" he asked.

"This morning." She said with a shrug. "Can I have a shrimp Okonomiyaki?"

"S_sure." Ukyo said as she snapped out of her daze.

"How much?" Ikuyo asked while was making.

"I'll be nice. It's on me seeing that you probably don't have any money." Ukyo said with a smile.

"You're right. I spent it on bribing that old man to let me across the border." Ikuyo said as she sat with her hands folded in her lap.

"You're still studying Clarinet Martial Arts?" he asked her.

"Yup. I'm better too. I can beat every boy, guy, and man in the village plus the strongest of the women." She said with a warm smile.

"Clarinet Martial Arts?" Ukyo asked as she finished the okonomiyaki and passed it to the black haired girl.

"It's instrumental Martial arts where you use instruments and their equipment for your weapons plus your own hands and feet." She explained.

"Ran-chan, who is she to you?" Ukyo asked.

"Uh…she's my fiancé." He said hesitantly.

"What?!" Ukyo yelled.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Please review for me. I hope some people review. Oh well, even if they don't I'll keep writing until someone does and even when they do I'll still write. Who ever reviews first I'll read their stories, it's as easy as that.

Thank you,

Youkai Taijiya Kihok


	2. Chapter 1: Always Ikuyou

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ but I do own Ikuyo and Koyaga.

A/N: I have a policy: I will not answer reviews unless I really feel like it. I think, personally, it's a waist of room. People don't read it, only the person it's answering. I don't care if I get flamed, that's the persons' problem if they don't like the story, I just get really pissed and continue my story no matter what they say, humph. Okay, let's continue with the oh so unpopular story.

*--*--*--*--*

**Chapter 1: Always Ikuyo**

"Welcome to the Kijota Instrument repair and Lessons store. Can I help you?" she said as she finished wiping down a flute with a silk cloth.

"Long time no see Ikuyo." Koyaga's voice said from the front.

She looked up from her work and smiled a happy smile. "You came?!" she cried as she ran up to him and hugged him.

"Yep. I wanted to see if this Ranma was good enough for you." He said with concern.

"He's good." She said reassuringly. "No need to get all high and mighty around me. Look, have you been taking care of the dojo?" she asked.

"No, your mother has." He said confused.

"Mother? I don't have a mother. She died when I was two." She said with confusion dripping from her words.

"Your father…I know why he sent you off!" he said loudly.

"What?" she asked calmly.

"He wanted you away so he could marry Kiyoja happily." He explained just as calmly.

"He tricked me?" she asked.

"Basically." He said sympathetically. "I wish was able to stop the wedding to keep that monster of a woman out but…I wish I could've don't something." He said sadly.

"Of course you do." She said quietly as she put her hand to his cheek. "Go back and don't come back here. If one of my old enemies were to follow you then that would be through for Japan."

"Okay." He said obediently and walked out of the store.

Ikuyo sighed as she grasped the counter for support of her shaking legs. "Mother. That monster of a woman." She echoed the words she had heard. "I hated her. Why did he go along with her manipulation…?"

"Hey Ikuyo-oh…" Akane said as she saw the state of her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Kiyoja, married to, father wanting to get rid of, monstrous woman, Kiyoja." She said the sentences in jumbles as Akane helped her sit down.

"Are you alright?" she asked again.

"Horrible news." Ikuyo said as she closed her eyes and let the anger flow out of her in an instant through her mouth.

"I'll get you glass of water so you can tell me." Akane said softly as she walked to the back sink and grabbed a glass from the cabinet which was filled with reeds, cleaners, and varieties of instrumental equipment. She filled the glass with water and walked back over to the shaking girl who had drawn her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she cried.

Akane handed the glass to her and rubbed Ikuyo's shaking back.

"He married the monster woman whom I had vowed to kill. She sent away my sister to Japan, killed my brother and got my mother arrested for attempted murder on her which she hadn't even placed a finger on her. She's horrible, that's why my father sent me off so he could marry the demon peacefully. I have a new hatred for that woman." She said as she took shaky sips of the water.

"You poor thing. Why did he—"

"Ikuyo. Are you here?" Ranma's voice interrupted her.

"Yeah." She said shakily.

Ranma stepped in and looked from Akane to Ikuyo. "What's the matter with her Akane?" he asked. 

"Bad stuff at home." Akane answered simply.

"Oh…" he said.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ikuyo, you live by Ukyo's?" Kasumi asked as she offered her a cup of tea.

"Thank you. Yes, I live about five buildings away. I have an Instrumental school which is rather popular. I'm surprised to say."

"What school do you go to?" Kasumi asked.

"I'll be going to Furinkan High School." She said with a smile.

"That's where Ranma and I go to." Akane said happily.

"Good. Now I'll know someone." She said.

"Do you have your uniform?" Kasumi asked.

"No." she said sadly.

"You can borrow one of Nabiki's or Akane's." Kasumi offered.

"You can borrow mine. I think where the same size." Nabiki said as she got up from the table.

"Thanks Nabiki." Ikuyo said as she got up and followed the older girl.

"No charge right Nabiki?!" Akane called after her sister.

"Whatever." Was the reply.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

Ranma and Ikuyo walked along the fence, Ikuyo behind him talking to Akane.

"So…this school. You always have fights with the principal and this Kuno guy and all the other boys that are after you?" she asked.

"Well, just Kuno and his dad. You see, since Ranma came the other guys gave up on me so now I don't need to fight them anymore. Kuno loves me and his father is always trying to cut off Ranmas' hair." She explained.

"You still wear a ponytail?" she asked.

"Yeah? So what?" he snapped.

She laughed and pushed him over the fence playfully making him fall off and right into the water below.

"What was that for?" he yelled up.

"Girl?" she asked as she looked down at him.

"Whenever Ranma falls in or gets cold water on himself he turns into a girl, whenever he's doused with hot water he turns back." Akane explained.

"Wow! You went to Jusenkyo?" she asked as she jumped down the wall and helped Ranma out.

"How do you know about Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked.

"My father fell in one, whenever he's doused with cold water he turns into a cow." She said and giggled.

Akane growled as she watched the two laugh and talk as Ikuyo helped him over the wall.

"We need to get you some hot water. I know! My shop has a bucket full in front. I needed it to soak some instruments." She offered with a warm smile.

"Thanks Ikuyo." He said.

"I can't stand this! We're going to be late!" Akane yelled.

"But…Ranma shouldn't be girl when he goes to school, now should he." Ikuyo said with a slight frown. 

"Fine. But I'm coming with you guys." She said hotly.

*--*--*--*--*

"Here Ranma-kun." Ikuyo said as she poured the hot water over him. "Let's go. The bell is about to ring I think." She said as she checked the clock on the wall of her shop. She turned the sigh to closed and started walking down the street. She had on Nabiki's old uniform with her clarinet on her back and her reeds across her chest.

"Aren't you happy? Yet another cute fiancé." Akane said to Ranma. She didn't even look at him.

"Oh, c'mon Akane. You shouldn't be jealous just because all my fiancé's are cuter than you." He said from the fence.

She growled but stopped herself from hitting him off the fence. "It' always Ikuyo isn't it?" she asked softly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You're always talking about her now. Is she your best friend or Ukyou? I can't tell." Akane said.

"You're makin' no sense." He said as he jumped down next to her.

She started to run, leaving him confused to follow her.

*--*--*--*--*

"Class, this is Ikuyo Kijota. She comes from Mianyang China." The teacher said. "Please take a seat."

Ikuyo walked down the isles and took a seat next to Ukyou. There was an odd feeling coming from her. She dared to glance at her to see that she was giving her a thoughtful look. She passed her a paper. 

Ikuyo took it and opened it. _Trap?_ She thought as she opened it:

_Ikuyo,_

_Meet me at Ucchan's. I want to ask you something._

_Ukyou_

Ikuyo looked at her raised a quizzical eyebrow. Ukyou just winked and went back to her work.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"So, Ukyou. You wanted to talk to me about something?" Ikuyo asked as she entered the okonomiyaki restaurant.

"Yeah." Ukyou said from behind the counter. "There's something I can't shake about you. There's a familiarity that annoys me." She said as she poured the okonomiyaki batter on the grill.

Ikuyo smiled and sat at the counter. She put one elbow up and rested her chin on her palm. "I see you noticed too. It annoys me too. This feeling like we've met before. Well, I'll have the usual." She said.

"Shrimp." Ukyou said. She gasped as she dropped the spatula in her hand.

"What?" Ikuyo asked.

"My…father's best friends' daughter's name was Ikuyo. They mastered in Instrumental Martial Arts." Ukyou said in disbelief. "You can't be her. But, then again, she always loved to eat shrimp okonomiyaki."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

I want to thank my first reviewer who was nice. 

SumDumGuy

Thank you thank you thank you! I'm so very happy!

I have the will to continue even more!


	3. Chapter 2: Attack of the Icy Woman

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½. 

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

**Chapter 2: Attack of the Icy Woman from ****China******

"You're that Ukyou. Ukyou K.?" Ikuyo asked.

"Yeah." Ukyou said as she shook her head and picked up the spatula. She put it on the counter and pulled another one out. She finished cooking it and handed the finished okonomiyaki to her old friend.

"But…I still want Ranma." She said as she looked at the black haired girl.

"We can fight for him if you want. He is my fiancé after all." Ikuyo said slyly.

"Maybe. That'll be interesting. To see how much you've improved." Ukyou said with a wink. "Well, better open up."

"See ya. Thanks for the okonomiyaki." Ikuyo said as she walked out and down the street toward her shop.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Place your finger on this button, now blow." She instructed to her student.

"Kijota Ikuyo! I've come to slay you!" a booming voice came from the ceiling.

"Go, quickly." She whispered to her student. "And remember to practice!"

"Yes ma'am!" the student said as she skipped out of the shop.

"You come to slay me?" Ikuyo asked.

"Yes, my dear daughter." The chilling voice said.

Ikuyo cringed as she felt the familiar shiver run through her body. She pulled her clarinet off her back and held it to the side. "You come from Lanxi just to attack my family. Then you go and marry my father! That stupid spell won't work for long you lowlife wh—"

"I came to do you in not talk about our past meetings." The woman said as the wall burst out to reveal a woman with short blonde hair. She had a small dagger in one hand and a long monk's staff in the other.

"Did you steal that from some lonely monk? You traded his life for the staff, eh?" 

"More or less. The monk sold his own life, the drunken idiot. Anyway, I will use this as a weapon." She said as she twirled it in her hands. Five reeds slid against her cheek in the blink of and eye. Blood trickled down her cheek and arm as the wooden reeds wedged into the wall.

"You're speed." She said in a stunned fashion.

Ikuyo twirled the clarinet in her fingers and knelt down on the ground. She put the mouth piece to her lips and blew in making a sweet note play into the ground. The cement rumbled and jagged pieces of cement pushed out of the ground. Ikuyo pointed at the woman and the chunks of cement flew at her knocking her out of the building. She followed and jumped through the hole.

"What was that? Your father never showed me that." She asked from the ground. 

"It's an embarrassing name for an attack." She said. A faint blush crept across her cheeks but she still kept her guard up.

"Tell me." The Chinese woman said innocently.

"Goshinsake" Ikuyo said quietly but angrily.

"What does it mean?" the woman asked as she pushed herself up with her arms.

"That's the embarrassing thing. It means nothing. It's just a name. Maybe in my fathers' own language. To him it means snowing chunks. Embarrassing huh?" she asked as her face got redder.

"I have something like that. It's called. Killing Snow!" she yelled as she lifted the staff and thrust it into the air.

"What's going on over there?" Akane asked Ranma.

"It sounds like a battle." He said as he jumped over to Ikuyo's house.

*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ikuyo! Who did this to you?" Ranma asked as he saw her shivering snow covered body. She was breathing fast and her clarinet was broken in two. There was a large bleeding gash across her cheek and three more on her leg and her arms.

"It was…Kiyoja." She whispered as she grasped his arm. "Akane-chan, watch…you're…back." She said as her consciousness slipped from her grasp. 

"Ikuyo." Ranma whispered. "Akane, who's this Kiyoja," he asked.

"Her step mother." She answered in concern. "This looks like a blizzard came through here."

*--*--*--*--*--*

Ikuyo shivered for the tenth time in two minutes.

"Her fever isn't going down." Kasumi informed the crowd. "Who did this?"

"Kiyoja." Akane said.

"Kiyoja?" Kasumi echoed.

"Her stepmother."

"She said…she came…to…slay me" Ikuyo panted. 

"Slay you? What kind of stepmother is she?" Kasumi said as she wet the cloth on Ikuyo's forehead.

"She's a demon." Ikuyo said quietly.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"What happened?" Ukyou asked Akane and Ranma as she served them some okonomiyaki.

"She was attacked by her stepmother and now she's unconscious." Ranma said as he ate his okonomiyaki.

"Her stepmother? That's awful." She said.

"Hmm. Why would a woman ever do that to her daughter?" Akane asked herself.

"Maybe we should ask Ikuyo?" Ranma asked as he stood and started walking out of the restaurant.

"Ranma wait!" Akane called after him.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ikuyo, you feelin' okay?" Ranma asked the girl.

"Her fever hasn't lowered still. This is everlasting." Kasumi said with worry.

"It's a curse." Ikuyo said. She coughed and sat up slowly. She was wearing a blue kimono with pink flowers on it and her hair was down across her shoulder. "Thank you Kasumi. I'm a bother. I can go home now."

"No." Kasumi said sternly. "You must get some rest. I don't mind you here."

"Thank you." She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell back onto her pillow.

"And there she goes." Nabiki said from the doorway.

"Nabiki? Do you know anything about this?" Akane asked.

"300 yen." She said simply.

Akane angrily slapped the money into her sisters' outstretched palm. "Start talking."

"Well, I saw the whole battle." She said as she counted the money.

***Flashback***

"Killing Snow!" the woman yelled. She thrust the staff into the air.

"What technique is this?" Ikuyo asked as she backed up against the wall.

"This snow will enter your body, freezing you on the inside. But, you'll be burning on the outside." She explained. A beam of white light shot out and hit Ikuyo in the stomach. When it stopped she collapsed to the ground, frozen all over.

***End Flashback***

"How awful. What kind of mother would do that to her child?" Kasumi asked.

"She has a spell on my father. It made him unaware of her monstrosities and she controlled him from the inside." Ikuyo explained coldly. "That woman will be dead when I'm through with her."

"Ikuyo, why did this woman pick your village to rampage through?" Akane asked.

"Our village is very sacred. The cows' milk can change any human into the purest of the gods. Our village is a forgiving village, where you can renew yourself of all the terrible things in the past you have committed. It completely revives you." Ikuyo explained weakly as she pushed herself up again. "I think it can rid you of your curse, Ranma-kun." 

"Really?" he asked. He grabbed her hand and looked hopefully into her eyes.

"I can't stand this." Akane muttered as she stood and walked out of the room.

"Akane, where are you going?" Kasumi asked.

"A bath." She growled.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Geez, I can't believe the way Ranma looked at her. Just because her village holds the cure for his curse. Ikuyo said that she would fight over Ranma until I tell him how I feel. I don't know how I feel." Akane thought out loud. "Why am I jealous? Ikuyo and I are friends when we aren't around Ranma. She's just like all the other fiancé's, though, when she is around him." She sunk down into the tub.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Jealous, me? Yeah right. I probably ate something." She said as she walked down the hall, drying her hair.

"Nope. It's jealousy." A voice said from behind her.

"Ikuyo. Why are you up?" Akane asked.

"I'm hungry. I was going to the kitchen." She replied. She slowly walked over to her and put her arm over her shoulder for support. "Listen. I love Ranma. I'm telling you this. I'll fight until I have him. But I'll stop right away and force the others to as well, when you tell him how you feel. And I know you don't hate him by the way you get jealous when he's around me."

Akane narrowed her eyes and snorted. "Like I would be jealous over that jerk and you. I'm just his uncute fiancé who he probably wishes he never had."

"Now I can tell your lying by the way your mouth curves at the edges. Look, you can't lie to me, I'm trained. I can read emotions just by looking at your mouth." She said slyly. She coughed took a shaky breath. "I'll kill that woman."

"What is she after?" Akane asked.

"The money and the milk." She answered weakly.

"Sounds like Nabiki." Akane muttered. She turned into the kitchen and helped Ikuyo into a chair.

"I can cook something for you." She said happily.

"Are you trying to kill Iku-chan?" Ranma asked from the door.

"Shut up" she said as she closed the door in his face.

"I'll help you. Is your cooking that bad?" Ikuyo asked.

"I've been working on it." Akane said sadly.

"Let's try a simple recipe." She said as she got up and opened the cook-book next to Akane. "Can you make rice?" she asked.

"It doesn't have the right stickiness." She replied.

"Okay then, I'll help you make terrific rice. Has anyone ever helped you, or do you always push away their help?" she asked.

"Both."

"Okay then, I'll help you, and then you're on your own for the next recipe although I think I should supervise." She said with a warm smile.

Akane nodded and they got to work on the rice recipe.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Dinners ready." She said to the surrounding people at the table. Ikuyo was standing next to her with her arm over her shoulder. She winked at the dreading Ranma and sat next to Nabiki.

"Akane. You made this?" Soun asked.

"Yes, daddy." She said with a smile.

He swallowed hard and put his chopstick into the pork bun. 

"With the help of Ikuyo." She added.

Soun took a bite and closed his eyes hard. After a few seconds he opened his eye. "This is good." He said as he ate more."

"Did you put a spell on it or something?" Ranma asked.

"No, I had supervision." Akane said hotly.

"I helped her make the rice and then broke down the recipes so they were easy to follow." Ikuyo said as she ate her rice slowly.

"You're a good teacher." Akane said.

"I'm not the best cook but I can cook a variety of things." She said softly.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"I'm sorry I can't get out of here just now. I'd love to leave you to your lives but I don't think I would be able to get home without passing out in the middle of the rode." She said

"That's alright. With you here to supervise Akane's cooking we can all sleep well knowing that the bathroom will be free all night." Genma said.

Akane narrowed her eyes at him and turned away with her arms folded.

"Well, we should be getting to bed." Kasumi said as she hustled everyone away.

"Good night, Ranma-kun." Ikuyo said. She winked at him and smile as warm smile. "Good night, Akane-chan." 

"Good night." Akane grumbled as she walked up the stairs behind her sisters.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

I was trying to answer the question of why Ikuyo's father would marry the monstrous woman. I think I did, didn't I? Anyway. Please review for me. I tried to change Akane's thinking about Ikuyo and tried to make Ikuyo a little like Ranma's other fiancé's. Did I do it?

Please review for me and I'll update as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 3: Shampoos Anger

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.

A/N: Thanks for the advice my reviewers. I put Shampoo in here! Hurry! On with the story.

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**Chapter 3: Shampoo's Anger and Chinese Journey**

"You feel good enough to walk?" Ranma asked Ikuyo as she weakly walked out of the house in her usual attire of her red kimono top and her blue jeans. Her reeds where in her hands just in case she needed to throw them quickly and her clarinet was in it's usual place on her back.

"I'm fine." She said with a smile. "A day is enough." 

"I hope you don't pass out." Kasumi said as she supported her other arm.

"Thanks Kasumi. You've been really nice." She thanked the older girl. "Well, I gotta get back to work." She said as she stood on the balls of her feet and tested them by jumped up and down. Then she smiled and jogged out of the dojo.

"I hope she'll be alright." Kasumi said.

*--*--*--*--*--*

"Stupid hole. This'll take forever to fix." She said as she inspected the large ruble filled store. The soft blue walls were untouched and glimmered with beads of water as the ice from her stepmothers' attack melted in the warm fall air. The golden and silver instruments were untouched as they lied in the glass case against the wall next to eh gaping hole. She opened the case and smiled as she looked at the instruments. They glimmered and seemed to revive her of her illness although she knew it was still there.

"I think I may need to go back to China against fathers' wishes." She said to herself as she picked up the golden flute and played a light b flat. "That's good, their not damaged." She said happily as she replaced it on its silk pad.

She stretched and walked up the stairs to her cozy apartment. She slid open the door to her room and flopped down on the futon. "Great to be home." She said as she held her clarinet up to light. It was taped in the middle rather poorly and the keys were bent all the way back. "If worst comes to worst I can use it as a sword like I used to when I didn't know any techniques." She said with a soft laugh.

She pulled the tape off and let the pieces fall on her chest. Tears prickled her eyes as she looked at the jagged cut. It felt like her best friend had died. It was sort of like that. She had that clarinet for years, playing it for the village, using it to protect their dojo, putting her baby brother to sleep at night with the softest notes she could play, learning how to use it in combat. She even slept with it next to her and her small cat, Saisai. "Stupid Kiyoja. How can a demon like her disguise her true nature so well? Innocent to the village but nasty to our family." She growled as she remembered the death of her brother and the arrest of her mother. She will bail her out. Her mother was one of the last living Japanese mikos' and always cooperated. Ikuyo remembered overhearing the guards:

"That lady, Kiyo Kijota, she doesn't seem like a criminal. How does a miko get arrested?"

"No clue. Should we ask for bail?" the other guard asked.

They had walked out of the room and to the lieutenant in charge. From what Ikuyo heard from the rumors is that her mother was granted bail but it was rather expensive. She had collected enough money to cross the border and enough to bail her mother so she didn't have to worry. Alright then, to China again. Maybe I should bring Ranma-kun and Akane-chan with me?" she said as she wiped away the few tears that got past her eyes. She unwrapped her bandaged arm and walked over to the first aid kit on her dresser. She rewrapped it and brushed her hair. She tied a white bow at the end of her hair and shivered as she felt the curse tighten around her insides. "I'll kill her when I get home." She said as she picked up the two pieces of her clarinet and walked out of her room and down the stairs again.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Hey Ukyou." Ikuyo said as she walked into Ucchan's.

"The usual?" hse asked as she already started pouring the batter.

"Sure." She walked over to the counter and sat down. She sighed and shivered.

"You okay?" Ukyou asked softly.

"Yeah. My stepmother." She answered simply.

"Hmm." She said as she flipped the okonomiyaki.

"Nihao, Ukyou." Shampoo said nicely as she came in.

"Ranma isn't here." Ukyou said flatly.

"Ikuyo girl!" Shampoo growled as she got into a fighting stance.

"Hello to you too Shampoo. Long time no see." She said as she waved to her.

"You no fight me?" Shampoo asked.

"I'm injured. You wouldn't hurt an injured girl, would you?"  Ikuyo asked as a sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Humph. I hate rival. What you doing in Japan?" she asked.

"To be with my fiancé." Ikuyo answered.

Shampoo thought. "Ranma no fiancé! He's mine!" she yelled.

"Whatever." Ikuyo said as she took the last bite of her okonomiyaki.

"You two know each other?" Ukyou asked with an amused grin.

"She is rival since childhood times." Shampoo said as she angrily glared at Ikuyo.

"I'd fight you but I can't move as fast as before. Can't you deal with defeat?" Ikuyo asked as she stood and flipped a coin to Ukyou.

"No, Shampoo need to fight for honor." She said as she lunged forward.

Ikuyo easily dodged and kept walking toward the exit.

"You come back!" Shampoo called.

"When I come back from China." Ikuyo said as she waved goodbye. "Zeizen."

"Humph." Shampoo stormed out of the restaurant. 

"I'm never going to make any money if this keeps up." Ukyou said with a sigh.

*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ranma-kun!" she called. "Sweetie. I wanna tell you something." She said as she grabbed his hand and led him into her shop.

"What?" he asked as she sat him down in one of the chairs.

"I'm going to China to visit my village and I was wondering if you would—"

"Yes!" he said as he held her hand tightly.

"You will?" she asked happily.

"Of course. This is my chance to become all man again." He said.

"Is that all?" she asked as she pouted. "Anyway, I'm gonna let Akane-chan come with us. I think it would do you two a lot of good." She said.

"Me and that uncute tomboy? What do we have to do?" he asked as he crossed his arms and turned away.

"Ranma, sweetie. You know what. As much as I love you I don't like seeing Akane crying because you called her all those horrible names." She said angrily. She coughed lightly and turned away from him.

"You're still not feelin' okay are you?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine. I need to sort this crap about Kiyoja and my father and repair my clarinet. I didn't bring any of the heavy duty supplies. I hate having her in such back condition. It's like a part of me is missing." She said quietly.

"Okay then. I'll go with you. I'll protect you and Akane until you get better." He said as he stood up and clenched his fist determinedly. 

She smiled and reached out her hand. Ranma grabbed it and helped her up.

"I'll go tell Akane now. You should get ready." Ikuyo said and smile warmly at him.

"Okay." He said as he happily hummed and walked out of the store.

Ikuyo giggled and walked up the stairs to get ready.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Great-grandmother! I home!" Shampoo called.

"Welcome back Shampoo. What's the matter?" Cologne asked.

"Ikuyo come here." She said as she sunk into a chair.

"Ikuyo? That's great. I want to see her." Cologne said as she hopped toward the door.

"She go to China." Shampoo said happily.

"So soon?"

"Well, not just yet, but said she injured." Shampoo twisted in her chair, "Great-grandmother no fight her?" she asked in disbelief. "Even Shampoo no beat her."

"I wish to talk to her Shampoo. You watch the restaurant." With that said Cologne hopped out of Kat's Café and down the street.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

There was knocking at Ikuyo's front door.

She walked over to it and opened the door slowly with her tapped clarinet held out.

"Down here Ikuyo." Said an old voice.

Ikuyo gasped. "Cologne-baba!" she said as she crouched down to meet the very old woman's' gaze. "You've grown so…short." She said with a perplexed look on her face.

She hit her on the head with her staff. "Be kind to your elders. I wished to see you Ikuyo."

"Ah. About what?" she asked as she let the old woman in.

"It's been a long time. Shampoo said you were injured."

"Yeah. By Kiyoja. You remember her right?" she asked as she led the old woman to the back of the store. She started up some tea and turned to the old woman seriously. "Killing Snow."

"The Amazon's created that technique. She was the one that stole the scroll." Cologne said as she closed her eyes in deep thought.

"Cologne-baba. I'm going back to China with Ranma and Akane to sort this out. I also need to repair my clarinet." She said as she showed the old Amazon her taped clarinet. She tapped the end of it on the table. It made a deep dent. "It's become fragile. If I swing it the key's'll probably fly off." She said with a sigh.

"Shampoo still thinks of you as a rival? I don't know why she hasn't given you the kiss of death yet." Cologne said.

"She can't get near me." Ikuyo said cockily. 

"Maybe." Cologne said as Ikuyo handed her a cup of tea.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Akane-chan!" she called as she jumped over the dojo wall and walked down the walkway. She opened the front door and looked around. "Is Akane-chan here?" she asked Kasumi.

"Yeah. She's in her room. Would you like me to call her for you? She's just getting ready."

"Sure. Thanks Kasumi." Ikuyo took her shoes off and followed Kasumi toward Akane's room.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Akane!" Ranma called.

"What?" she asked from the dojo. Ranma opened the door and walked in slowly with his pack on his back.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she wiped her face with a towel.

"We're going to China with Ikuyo." He said and smiled at her.

"Humph. Why do I have to go?" she asked stubbornly.

"Because Ikuyo requests of it." he said as he turned to go. "You don't gotta go if you don't wanna."

She watched as he left. "I want to go." She whispered as she followed him out.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Akane. You in there?" she heard Ikuyo's voice thought he door. "Look, I know you don't want to spend time with Ranma but, you gotta come for both your relationships status." She said as she leaned against the door.

Akane wiped her tears as she heard the girls' soothing tone. She stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She thrust open the door and Ikuyo tumbled in.

"What are you doing?" Akane asked.

"I was leaning on the door for support." She said as she wiped her pants off.

"Let's go now." Akane said rather sadly.

"You don't want to go?" Ikuyo asked as she walked next to Akane.

"Yes. I do want to go." Akane said and ran down the stairs.

Ikuyo shook her head. She took a deep breath and descended down the stairs. She coughed and wobbled as she walked to the front door.

"Are you alright Ikuyo?" Kasumi asked.

"I'll be fine." She said as he slipped into her shoes.

She walked out with Akane and they met up with Ranma at the gate.

"Should we run to the border?" Ikuyo asked.

"Sure." Ranma said with a smirk. "Akane. Can you keep up?"

"Of course I can." She said as she turned her head away from him.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

Please review my faithful reviewer(s)!


	5. Chapter 4: Kiyoja and her Spells

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em! Poor Kihok!

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**Chapter 4: Kiyoja and her Spells**

"Your mother was a delinquent?" Akane gasped.

"Yeah. She wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer either." Ikuyo sighed. She looked to the side and sniffed.

"Was she a…good mom?" Akane asked.

"Wonderful. No problems about that." She said with a smile. "It's just that she…was...a little careless."

Ranma snorted and walked ahead. _I'm gonna be all man again! I hope she wasn't bluffin', _he thought.

"Rana-chan!" he heard Ikuyo call from behind him.

"Rana-chan?" he asked.

"Got your attention didn't it?" she asked. "Anyway…we need to turn this way." She said pointing down a dark dirt road.

"Kay." He said and turned.

"So docile." Ikuyo whispered to Akane.

Akane just snorted and walked ahead. "Only to you." She muttered when she was out of hearing range.

Ikuyo caught up and looked around. "My sister was half demon." she said quietly.

"Wow. You had problems." Ranma said rudely.

"Ranma! Shut up!" Akane hissed. "Why do you think that?" she asked softly.

"She had them piercin' red eyes," she said as she pointed to her eyes and crossed her eyes, "Her hair was bright silver also. She was real docile and there was this angelic presence 'bout her. She, like my mother, was a little bit-a a delinquent, always causin' trouble. I'm the only sweet normal person in the whole family." She said proudly.

"Not by the way you talk." Akane muttered.

"I went to Kansai I'll have you know!" she snapped. "And I usually hold the urge to talk with my accent when I'm around people."

"Kansai? That's not anywhere near China. Why were you there?" Ranma asked.

"Why are you being so polite lately?!" Akane snapped.

"Ikuyo's injured. I gotta be nice." He said and stuck his nose up. "Not to tomboys like you though."

"Stop it Ranma-kun." Ikuyo said. "It ain't Akane's fault she's got no girly qualities _yet_." She said as she put her hand on the fuming girls' shoulder.

"_Yet_?" she grumbled.

"Don't take it seriously, girl." Ikuyo said as she patted her back. "Don't you get tired of bein' mad at people all the time? It sure annoys me." 

"Ranma said the same thing!" Akane snapped.

"I guess lovers think along the same lines." she said as she winked at Ranma.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Your mother, what did she do to be called a delinquent?" she asked.

"Um…beat up kids for money, got suspended from school, talked back to her elders, teachers, and parents; although they weren't very great parents she respected only them in the tiniest bit.  

"When she was 18 she gave back all the money she stole ad apologized for the beatings she gave regularly. She also signed up for animal care and rehabilitation because she had a very very large soft spot for animals." Ikuyo explained.

"So she redeemed herself? Are you listening Ranma? You can redeem yourself." Akane called to him.

"Redeem myself for what?" he asked.

"Your rudeness toward your fiancé. " Ikuyo said.

"I'm not rude to you." He called back.

Akane lowered her head. Ikuyo saw this and ran up to him. She pulled her clarinet off her back and knocked him out, making the tape rip and the clarinet to hang in half. "Ya insensitive jerk!" she yelled but nonetheless she picked him up and piggybacked him the rest of the way.

***--*Three Days Later because of Ikuyo's and Ranma's fast running and Akane on Ikuyo's back*--***

"Pop!" Ikuyo called as she let Akane off her back and jumped form rock to rock to tackle her father who was just throwing more rocks into the field, for no apparent reason.

"I-Iku!" he said, obviously surprised.

She slapped him in the face. "Snap out of your spelled state!" she yelled and started slapping him some more.

"Ikuyo! I don' think this is the way to get him out of his spelled state!" Akane yelled as she held back Ikuyo's hand which was formed into a fist now.

"What was that for?!" her father yelled.

Ikuyo got tears in here eyes. "Pop! That horrible woman! How the hell didja ever think it was gonna work out?!" she yelled.

"Why are you talking like your mother?" he asked.

"'Cause I accidentally went to Kansai. I couldn't read the map and kept crashin' into trees and stuff." She explained.

"Wasn't Koyaga with you?" he asked angrily.

"Uh...well…ya see…I had ta bribe the man in Korea to let us across but he only let me 'cause I opened my shirt." She said with a blush.

"Alright. At least you have an excuse." He said as he got up and brushed himself off.

"What are doin' throwin' rocks around?" she asked.

"Um…I have nothing else to do." He said miserably.

"It was Kiyoja. Right! I was gonna kill…her…today…" she started to shiver and sway.

"Ikuyo!" Akane said as she caught her.

Ikuyo shivered and opened her eyes slowly. "I pushed myself." She said quietly.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Maybe it's a human?" a boy asked in Chinese.

"Maybe it has rabies." Another said.

"What's up Suichi?" Ikuyo asked in Japanese as she walked over with her arm around Akane's shoulder again for support.

"Ikuyo-kun! Look. This mouse keeps saying to kiss it." he said as he pointed to the flea-infested looking rat on the floor.

"Me, kiss that thing? It probably has rabies!" she said as she made a disgusted face as did Akane.

"C'mon. Just look at it." he prodded.

Ikuyo sighed and shakily released her grip on Akane's shoulder to walk slowly over the 'mouse' on the ground.

"Yuck! That thing is like a sewer rat." She said as she fell to her knees in front of it.

It jumped over to her and crawled into her lap. 

"I ain't kissin' no rabies filled rat." She said as she slapped it off her knees. 

"Kiss it." A voice hissed in her ear.

"I'm not fallin' into any old spell." Ikuyo whispered back and did a back kick making the woman behind her go flying.

"How did you__?" she stammered as she pushed herself up.

"Kiyoja, makin' my pop marry a demon like you? What were you thinkin'?" she asked as she stood up and pulled a sword out of one of the young boys' belts. 

"You know?" she asked.

"Duh." Ikuyo muttered.

"Why did you want him?" Akane asked as she took a stance next to Ikuyo.

"Because, he's the only one who knows how to milk the magical cows." She said as she stood and walked forward. "My daughter. I wish to take you in my arms. Why not come to me." She said as she opened her arms.

Akane looked confused. "What the hell?" she muttered.

Ikuyo shook her head and pointed the long-sword at her. "I ain't fallin' for somethin' like that! You aren't my mother and you never will be!" she almost shouted.

"How is it that you are unaffected by my powerful spells?" she thought aloud. She snapped her fingers and smiled. "Get them boys'." She said to the boy's behind Ikuyo and Akane.

They walked forward and pulled their own weapons out and ran forward. 

"Where's Ranma?!" Akane called to Ikuyo.

"I don't know." Ikuyo said as they backed up next to each other. She stopped and pulled a few reeds out. "Stupid me! I forgot about these." She said as she threw them and grabbed Akane's hand. She tugged Akane along as she ran toward her house.

Knives and such flew after them and the rabies infested rat was riding on Ikuyo's shoulder.

Ikuyo dodged the blades but Akane missed one, getting cut on the shoulder.

"Dammit! Here! Get on my back!" Ikuyo yelled to her.

Akane nodded and obediently climbed onto Ikuyo's back as she jumped from roof to roof to her fathers' house.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

Please review!! This was an okay chapter, some of the wordin' I couldn't get out just right so I tried my best, okay?

Next Chapter:

**Chapter 5: Saisai the Rabies infested Rat**


	6. Chapter 5: Saisai the Rabie infested Rat

Disclaimer: I don't Ran-chan or anyone accept the Chinese instrument people like Ikuyo, Kiyoja and others.

Just for your info:

_Blah_=thoughts

"Blah"=talking

Blah blah blah=not talking or thinking, just the story.

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**Chapter 5: Saisai the Rabies infested Rat**

_Ranma, _Ikuyo thought as she jumped from house to house with Akane on her back_, you lied. You said you'd protect us until I got better._

She winced in pain as her heart shivered and her body, wanting to cough, heaved as she held it back. _Am I better?_ She asked, pleading for him to come soon.

She stopped in front of her house and looked around. It seemed that the attack had ceased. Akane's leg was bleeding furiously and she was white as a sheet.

"Hold on Akane-chan. Don't die." Ikuyo said soothingly.

"Ranma." Akane murmured as she closed her eyes.

"Woah! Do anything but close your eyes!" Ikuyo yelled at her. "Door door door! Open!" she yelled at it as she kicked it open.

"Ikuyo!" her father said startled.

"Father, help Akane-chan." She said as she put down the fainted girl and flopped down onto the cushion on the ground.

Her father crawled stiffly over to the shaking and pale girl. He looked at her leg and flinched. "That's a lot of blood loss." He said just as stiffly as his motions.

Ikuyo was leaning against the wall, panting, with her eyes closed tightly, and her arms in the baggy sleeves of her kimono. Her jeans were soaked through with Akane's blood and her ponytail had many hairs coming out of it to frame her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. Help Akane-chan first. She lost too much blood to be put aside." Ikuyo said as she rubbed her arms as she shivered. "Have you seen Ranma?" she asked.

"N-no. He was…here?" he replied rather hesitantly.

"Yeah." Ikuyo said as she opened her eyes to look suspiciously at her father. Then she remembered and said, "Where's Sutasai?" she asked as she jumped up.

"He's at his house, why?" he asked.

"Never mind." Ikuyo jumped out of the house and happily jumped from house to house toward the house of the repair man.

~*~

"Sutasai!" she called through the house.

"Is that you Ikuyo?" he asked as he ran over to her.

"Yeah. I need yeh to fix me Clarinet." She said as she held out her clarinet for inspection.

"'kay. I can fix this is a jiffy." He said as he happily walked to the back room to fix it. 

Ikuyo looked at the filing cabinet next to her and smiled as she pulled out a bunch of reeds and re-loaded her reed holder. "Kiyoja, prepare to die." She whispered as she clenched a reed in her hand.

"What? Kill the dojo?!" Sutasai called from the backroom.

"No! I was talkin' to myself!" se called to him.

"Your Chinese is horrible!" he called.

"No nagging from you!" she yelled at him jokingly.

"You run along then!" he called to her.

She laughed and skipped out of his house.

"Now to find Ranma-kun." She said as she rubbed her hands together.

~*~

"Ranma-kun! Ranma-kun!" she called through the forest. "Damn it! Where is he?!" she yelled.

She looked down from her perch on a tree and saw him…. Passed out on the ground?!

"Ranma-kun!" she jumped down and shook him. "Wake up! Are you alright?!" 

"Too hungry…can't train anymore." He grumbled.

Ikuyo dropped him and looked around. "You were training?" she asked him.

"Food…need…hungry." He mumbled again.

Ikuyo growled and pulled a bag of rice cakes out of her pocket. "Eat those. I was saving them for my cat but…just eat them, sweetie."

"Thanks Iku-chan." He said as he ate ravenously.

*--*--*--*--*--*

When Ranma and Ikuyo were walking back they heard Akane scream.

"That's Akane!" Ranma said as he ran as fast as he could toward Ikuyo's house.

"And he say's he doesn't like her." Ikuyo muttered as she followed him.

"Akane! Akane! What happened?!" he yelled as he barged in.

"That hurt!" she screeched as she pulled Ikuyo's father's hand off her leg. "What's that rat doing next to you?" she asked.

"Rat!" he yelled and jumped onto the table lightening fast.

"Saisai!" Ikuyo cried as she dove at the rabies-infested-rat. It immediately grew to the size of a small cat and meowed.

"Saisai" she scooped up the cat in her arms.

"Your cat was a rat?" Akane asked stunned.

"That's just her disguise so she could follow me." Ikuyo said as she hugged her cat happily.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"That little brat! How was she able to dodge my attacks when she was still injured by my Killing Snow?!" Kiyoja growled to her mirror as she brushed her long hair. "I must kill her at any cost."

*--*--*--*--*

Hee Hee! I know this was short but I had to leave a little bit of Kiyoja plotting. I hope I see some more reviews!! I'm so glad that people have been kind enough to review even though I haven't updated lately. My computer is to blame! Anyway…I'll update soon with some more action in they next chapter and I hope I can write it longer.


	7. Chapter 6: Ikuyo ½

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.

*--*--*--*--*--*

**Chapter 6: Ikuyo ½ **

"Hey Ranma, I'm going to Jusenkyo for a day. Alone thank you." Ikuyo said as she bowed to him and the recovering Akane. "Well, me and Saisai." She added as she pet the cat on her head.

"Come back soon!" Akane called after her.

"Don't try and be all girly now. It's too late." Ranma said to her.

"Shut up! I can be girly!" she argued.

"Yeah right, you uncute tomboy." He said back as he stuck his tongue out at her.

Ikuyo sighed as she and Saisai went on their way.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Okay Saisai!" she said as she poured hot water over her cat who in turn changed into a girl with short brown hair.

"Long time no see, Ikuyo." She said as she put some clothes on from out of Ikuyo's bag.

"Here we are, Jusenkyo. I'll turn you into a girl again." Ikuyo said happily as she trotted in front of her friend.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"C'mon!" Ikuyo yelled as she and her friend stood on the bamboo poles in the springs. She lunged forward and they started their training.

After her first punch it was one nightmare after another. First of all she was kicked into a spring, her friend in one too. Then taken out by the guide and given away to a "loving" family were they were used as servant's and utterly misused as pets. For one reason, Ikuyo had fallen into the Spring of Drowned Dog and her friend, who had once again fallen into the Maonichuan (cat spring).

In the end Ikuyo ended up biting all the people who kicked them out and they ran for their lives toward Ikuyo's village.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"I wonder where Iku-chan is." Ranma sighed as he sat on the roof, looking over the village.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Where are we?" Ikuyo looked around.

"No idea." Her friend said as she rubbed her bruised face.

Ikuyo turned to a man in a hat that was walking toward the forest. "你到哪里去？ (Where are you going?)"

"匆忙 (in a hurry)" he said sternly.

"近义词 (Answer me!)" she yelled at him.

He shivered and showed her a map, and then she smiled and pat him on the back. 

"谢谢你。(Thank you)" she said happily. 

"You're cruel." Her friend said grimly. 

"Yup." She said as she skipped down the road in the direction toward their village.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

*woof woof*

A dog barked outside of the house as Ranma, Akane, Ikuyo's father, and Kiyoja sat down to eat. All was silent until…

*smash* *crack* *slam*

Ranma and Akane dashed toward the source of the sound and found a black and purple dog lying on the ground. Akane rushed over and pulled all the junk off from on top of the dog.

"The poor thing. It got crushed by this case." She said as she gestured toward the metal case filled with reeds all over the ground.

The dog squirmed out of Akanes' hold and dashed toward the bathroom with Ranma's sleeve in her teeth. 

"Where y'goin' you little mutt?" he asked as he followed the dog.

"What're y'doin'?" he asked as he watched the dog turn on the faucet with its teeth and jump into the hot bath. When it emerged it was Ikuyo.

"I-I-Ikuyo?!" he yelled as he backed up against the wall.

"I fell in spring. Now I have the body of a dog." She said angrily as she ducked under the water. "Naunnichuan wasn't easily found but I got it." 

"You did!" he cried as he almost jumped on her.

"What are you doing in here?!" Akane yelled from the door.

"I got Naunnichuan for Ranma-kun. You won't get him now." She said happily as she twirled a small bottle in her hand. "What you say Ranma-kun? I give it to you and you do me a favor." She slyly opened the top and sniffed the top.

"Fine!" he said and jumped into the water with her as she dangled the bottle farther away from him.

"One thing. You help he kill Kiyoja and I marry me after." 

"What?!" Akane cried.

"He marry me." Ikuyo repeated.

"Okay."

"What?!" Akane cried again.

"Okay." He repeated as he grabbed her hands. "Although I'll divorce you right after."

Ikuyo's eye twitched as she pinched his hand, pulled her Chinese clothes over to her, put them on, and conveniently pulled out a flute. She lifted the flute and slammed him on the head, chasing him out yelling angry remarks in Chinese. 

"Ranma'll never learn." Akane muttered as she shook her head.

"Ranma get back here!" Ikuyo called after him as she threw her reeds at him.

"Can't you take a joke?!" he cried as he ran as fast as he could away from the even faster girl.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Miss, me can't let you out. Bail fine for now but it seems your family canot afford it." The guard said.

"Then make them. I have done nothing and I wish to be freed. I have been kind enough to live out my time without blasting the place to hell and freeing myself by killing all of you." The woman said as she flicked an ofudo into the air carelessly. It burst into flames before it reached the ground.

"Y-yes ma'am." He stammered as he jumped out of the cell and into the safe hall.

The woman laughed as she opened a tattered book and started reading.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"I wonder what Ikuyo's doing?" Kiyoja asked her minions. 

"Would you like to know, milady?" one servant asked.

"Yes. Do now." she said to the Japanese servant.

The Japanese turned and ran out of the building.

A few minutes later he came back with bumps, bruises and scratches all over him.

"She beat me up. She's chasing the boy around and shouting about how rude his is about using her and things like that." He said as he winced.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" Ikuyo yelled as she grasped the dented flute in her hand.

"Ikuyo!" a voice called from behind her.

"Oh, Pop. What is it?" she asked in an angry voice.

"Your clarinet's finished." He said as he held up her best friend, a.k.a. her weapon.

"WOW!" she cried as she dropped the flute and pounced on her clarinet. She strapped it on her back and twirled around as she felt the keys from the back.

"谢谢你! 谢谢你 (Thank you thank you!)!" she cried as she hugged her father for the instrumental repairer.

"Well, I'll tell him--."

*splash*

"I so sorry Ikuyo, Mr. K…Where they go?" a village girl asked as she looked around.

"Moo-o-o!" 

*woof woof*

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"I finally got away from Ikuyo. Man, and a good thing to, I can't feel my arms now." Ranma said as he rubbed his bruised arms.

"Ranma?!" Akane called. She stopped in front of him and frowned. "You idiot. Don't you know when not to say something in front of a girl?"

"Shut up! I have no intension of marrying anyone right now." He said as he fell down with a load thump.

Akane lifted a bucket of water and poured it over him. "I'll take you back so we can treat those wounds."

"Fine." Girl Ranma grumbled as Akane piggybacked him back to the Chinese village of Sang-wan-chi.

"Hey, Akane and girl!" someone called from above.

Akane and Ranma looked up. There was a girl with brown hair standing on a tree limb looking down at them. She was Chinese and had the outfit of an Amazon from Shampoo's village.

"Who are you?!" Akane called up to her.

"You know me as Saisai, Ikuyo's cat. I come from Amazon village. Looking for Ranma girl." She yelled down to them.

"I--!" Ranma started but Akane nudged her in the side and shook her head.

"Why do you wanna know?" Akane yelled to the girl on the tree.

"Ikuyo say he defeat sister Shampoo in time long ago." She said as she landed in front of them and smiled. Her eyes were green and shone with a light of power and strength. Her hair was as short as Akane's but was held in a bun. "I Shampoo's oldest sister, Xon-di-noir, but for now call me Condition." She said as she bowed.

"Nihao." Ranma said slowly as she took her hand away from Akane's shoulder to take Condition's hand.

"We were going to Ikuyo's village so we could fix up Ranma here. " Akane said in a friendly manner.

"Zhu ni yi lu shun feng!" she called after them.

"What?" Ranma muttered.

"Have happy journey!" Condition translated. "I see you soon!" 

*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Wenhoa wenhao wenhao wenhao!" Ikuyo said quickly to Sutasai.

"Wenhao." He said once and smiled at the happy girl.

"Thank you so much." she said as she hugged him and skipped out of the house toward her home.

"Ikuyo. We have come to inform you that the bail for your mother ha been lowered to 600--." A guard said but Ikuyo had her clarinet to his chin and an angry look on her face.

"I pay for bail now." she growled as she shoved money into him hand.

"That good. She free now." The guard said in his horrible Japanese.

"Thank you."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"She's out of jail?" Kiyoja asked.

"Yes, Milady. She was freed by Ikuyo today." One of her servants said in a tiny voice.

"This is bad. Call Condition. I want to ask her a favor." She ordered.

"What about Kahoka?" an important looking girl asked.

"Kahoka? She's working at Jusenkyo is she not? Ikuyo just went there, ask her to come here too and ask for info about her training." Kiyoja commanded as she rose from her chair and walked out of the room.

When she was gone all her servants seemed to get less tense. "I hate that woman. Poor Ikuyo." 

"Poor Condition."

"Poor Kahoka. Kahoka?! We can't bring her here! She'll kill us all just for asking about Ikuyo!" one cried.

"Uh-Oh."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

"Ranma, we're almost there. Hold on." Akane said reassuringly.

"These cut's hurt. I don't need you to carry me, y'know." Ranma complained.

"They'll get worst if you put pressure on them. I don't mind."

"Of course not you ma…" Ranma stopped and sighed as she leaned her head against Akane's back. "I don't care."

"Would you really marry Ikuyo just for the Naunnichuan?" Akane asked.

"No. I'd steal it from her." Ranma said slyly.

Akane sighed in anger and kicked a rock. "I don't really care if you change back or not. I like you the way you are."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

I'm finished with this chapter! I liked writing this chapter. It was cool! As you can see I switched from Chinese characters to pronunciations of the word toward the end. That's alright though, right?

Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can:

**Chapter 7: Mother's Insanity**


	8. Chapter 7: Mother's Insanity

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½

*--*--*--*--*

**Chapter 7: Mother's Insanity**

"We're back!" Akane yelled.

"No!!!! Why!" She heard Ikuyo's father yell.

"She's my mother! You can't just go off marrying people when your still married!" they heard Ikuyo yell. There was thumping of running feet and her father tripped into view. Ikuyo jumped onto his back and dragged him out of the door Ranma and Akane had just come through. They heard the splash of water and a moo.

"Humph, that'll teach you." Ikuyo said as she walked back in. She was wearing a long red Chinese style dress and red versions of her usual shoes. 

"What's the occasion?" Ranma asked as he got off Akane's back.

"My mothers coming back." She said happily.

"Your mother?" Akane asked.

"From jail?"

Ikuyo nodded.

*--*--*

"I've longed to see my dear daughter again. That no good husband of mine. I'll wring his neck when I see him." Mother said.

*Flashback*

"Why, why must you take me have done nothing? Please! Give me my daughter!" a Young Tanaka called to her husband.

"You're a crazy woman! Go to jail for your bad ways!" a young Kojo yelled to his wife as he held a kicking and yelling seven-year-old Ikuyo. She was hitting him on the head with her clarinet and yelling.

"I want mama! Let go of me bastard! Take me to mama!" Ikuyo bit his hand and starting running to her mother. A policeman grabbed her and pulled her back. She started biting his arm and hitting him with her clarinet.

"Ikuyo! Ikuyo! Let me see my daughter one last time before you take me." She said to the guard. He nodded and Tanaka jogged to her daughter. Her husband came over and the policeman stepped away to let them have some privacy.

"Mama. You can't go." Ikuyo cried into her mother.

"You, husband, must promise me. You must promise that you will wait for me. Don't marry again until I'm freed. I still love you." She handed him a small letter which was wrapped in pink cloth. "When I come back please give this to Ikuyo."

"Mama! Mama! Don't go! We can kill Kiyoja together, mama!" Ikuyo yelled after her mother.

"I must go my daughter but, I'll see you again." She said as the police men dragged away the powerful miko into the carriage toward the jail.

"I-I love you too, Tanaka." Ikuyo heard her father mutter as he lowered his head.

*End Flashback*

"Marrying that monster." She said with clenched fists.

*--*--*

"Hello? Is anyone home?!" Tanaka called through the house. She was wearing a green kimono and had a monks staff in her hand, stolen from one of the other prisoners.

"Hai!" came Akane's voice from the dining room.

She came in and stopped. "Who are you?" she asked politely.

"I am Tanaka, is Ikuyo or my husband here?" she asked.

Akane seemed to freeze.

"Who is it, Akane-chan?" Ikuyo came up behind Akane. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the woman in front of her.

Tanaka tapped the end of the staff against the hard wood floors and smiled at her daughter. "It's been a long time, my dear, Ikuyo." 

"M-M" Ikuyo's eyes filled with tears as she ran to her mother. "Mama!" she cried into the taller woman.

Tanaka pattered her back and chuckled. "You haven't changed at all. Huh? What's this? You still have your clarinet?" she asked.

"Yeah." Ikuyo sniffed as she smiled at her mother. "I'm gonna kill Kiyoja."

Tanaka patted her daughters head and smiled. "I'll help." She said as she winked.

*--*--*

"Come one, Pop! You can't stay in there forever!" Ikuyo yelled at him.

"NO!" he yelled.

Ikuyo kicked the door down and dragged him out. "What have you got against your own wife?" he asked.

"Kiyoja is my wife now." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Then you broke her promise. Where's the letter! Give it to me! No monster could be better then a miko as a wife. Stupid." She said as she pulled his toward the house. 

"Let me tell you why I married again."

*Flashback*

"Hello, I saw what happened to your family. I am saddened for your loss." Kiyoja said. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she bowed to Kojo.

"Oh, thank you. Please come in." he said.

"Thank you." She followed him in and smiled as Ikuyo came running out to greet whoever was visiting. She stopped and glared. Clenching the clarinet in her hand she shook with anger. 12 years old Ikuyo took with a shaky hand three reeds and was about the throw them when her father grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Don't try and kill a guest." He scolded her.

Ikuyo snorted and turned as she wretched her arm out of his grip and walked back into the dojo.

She heard Kiyoja laugh evilly in the background.

*End Flashback*

"How's that a good meeting?" she asked dryly.

"Hmph. Your mother's a mad woman. Kiyoja's better." 

"Yeah right! She killed my little brother and sent my sister and mother away! How's that good!"

"Excuse me." Tanaka said as she came around the corner.

Kojo gasped.

"My dear husband. Is this true?" she asked as she held the staff against her chest tightly.

"W-well. Tanaka. I've met a new woman." He said.

"Is she…beautiful?" she asked.

"No!" Ikuyo yelled.

"Yes she is!" he argued.

"Screw you! Your opinion doesn't count. Of course you'd say she's beautiful. You're under her spell!" she yelled at him.

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Excuse but…" Tanaka pointed the clanking staff at Kojo. "Since you broke your promise…you must die!" she swung it, narrowly missing his head. She swung again and again until she finally hit his head knocking him out.

"Crazy woman…" was his last word before he fell unconscious.

*--*--*

Is that too short? Oh well. I love that I keep getting reviews. It's so much fun!!


	9. Chapter 8: Running Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma and co...

*--*--*

**Chapter 8: Running Home**

"I'm sorry but…I must live here with my husband and straighten out these problems." Tanaka said as she sat at the table and sipped tea.

"You don't have to worry mom. He'll come around." Ikuyo said as she patted her mom's arm.

"We need to get back home." Akane piped up.

"We do?" Ranma asked.

"Yes. Kasumi and father will be worried and if we aren't back for school then we'll all be way behind for exams." she said.

"Right." Ikuyo said as she punched her head lightly. "I'm sorry Ranma but…Condition took the water."

"What?!" he yelled.

"She took the water!" she yelled at him.

"Damnit…"

*--*--*

"Kiyoja, they are returning home." Said one of the ice woman's servants.

"Good…follow them…Koyaga." she said to the brown haired guy in the corner.

"Hai, Kiyoja-sama." He walked out, h is eyes glazed over.

*--*--*

"Well…we'll be going." Akane said as she looked at the miko.

"Have a safe trip back." She said.

"Bye, mom." Ikuyo said as she hugged her mother then walked out of the house as she led the way out, wearing the clothing of the Chinese men of the village, her long black hair in a tight braid what was over her shoulder.

*--*--*

"These are…demons?!" Akane yelled as she looked behind her at the large centipedes following them. 

"Yeah! Ranma-kun, don't drop her!" Ikuyo called.

"Right." Ranma had Akane on his back because she couldn't run fast enough and got her leg bitten.

Ikuyo stopped. "Go ahead of me! I'll catch up."

"Okay. Be careful Iku-chan." He said.

"I will, sweetie."

She pulled out her clarinet and unsheathed the katana at her side.

"Alright, youkai. You want me, come at me." she said as she held her clarinet to one side and the katana at the other. 

The centipedes came at her and she twirled her clarinet, lightly blowing into it a very quiet note sounded. The youkai stopped in their tracks and started to shake.

"Just like a dog whistle." She said happily as she sliced them through with the katana.

She sheathed her katana and put her clarinet back on her back and ran after the two.

*--*--*

**After 7 weeks of running from youkai after Ikuyo….**

"We're back!" Ranma called through the house.

Akane was badly injured on his back but was asleep fortunately.

Kasumi ran over to them, closely followed by Nabiki, Soun, and Genma.

"Akane!" the Tendo's ran forward and helped her to her room to fix her up.

"Did you get it?" Genma asked in a serious voice.

"Does it look like I got it?" Ranma yelled irritably. 

"You stupid boy! You were supposed to get it yourself!" Genma yelled as he tossed a very tired Ranma into the pool in the back of the house.

Girl Ranma surfaced but for the first time she was too tired to yell at him. "Poor Akane." She muttered.

"Why? You did protect her didn't you? Your own fiancé?" Genma pressed.

"She got bitten and when I tried to protect her there were too many and they attacked form behind and in front." Ranma said reluctantly. 

Genma swallowed. This was such a different Ranma he had seen before. Maybe he was sick.

"I'm fine. Just a few cuts. Maybe I'll take Akane and Ikuyo to Dr. Tofu's." Ranma said as he walked toward the stairs to Akane's room.

*--*--*

"Are you feeling okay, Akane?" Ranma asked softly.

"Not really." she replied in the weakest voice he had heard from her. "Thanks for trying to protect me."

"Don't talk, you'll exhaust yourself faster." He said. "We're going to check on Ikuyo and take you two to Dr. Tofu's."

"Okay."

*--*--*

"Iku-chan! Are you alright!" Ranma called through her shop.

They heard a light thump then looked toward the stairs. She walked down the first two then tumbled down the last one, landing on her head.

"Ow…" she got up and limped, wobbled, and slid toward the door.

"Are you alright?" Akane asked as she looked at the heavily bandaged girl. She had three bandages on her face, one on her cheek, on her forehead, and one on her nose. Her arm's were covered and wrapped in cloths and other wrapping bandages. He had her lags bandaged heavily and it looked like her feet here even covered.

"Let's go." She muttered as she walked drunkenly out of the door of her shop.

*--*--*

Dr. Tofu was examining Ikuyo. He kept wiping sweat from his brow as he looked on. 

"Wow. There's your cheek bone is fractured, your nose is fine, it'll heal, your arm is hardly scraped and the bone is cracked. Your legs are badly cut but they'll be fine. Your ankle if heavily sprained so…you shouldn't put too much pressure on it. Your back has a few ribs sticking out of it, plus your stomach." Dr. Tofu pointed to sharp lumps coming of her back and above her hip. "What did you do?"

"Youkai." Ikuyo muttered. She had broken ribs, arms, cheekbones. She was a mess.

"Akane-chan, your next." He said.

Examining the shorthaired girl he looked as stressed as he was when he looked at Ikuyo. Ikuyo was leaning against the wall on her good shoulder. She had her eyes slightly opened as she watched at examination. Ranma was sting in a chair next to the bed looking down at Akane worriedly.

"She also has a fractured cheekbone, both of them actually, half of her ribs are broken, her arm is fractured and her ankle if lightly sprained. There is poison in her leg so…I'll need to keep her over night to extract it. Maybe we should take her to the hospital?" he asked.

"No..." Akane whispered as she grabbed his shirt. "I wanna stay here."

"Alright Akane-chan. But if you don't get better then I'll have to take you there." He said as he patted her hair.

Akane nodded and fell asleep instantly.

"Ranma, you don't look to badly injured. Let me bandage you up and you can go."

"I'll stay here with Akane." Ranma said.

"I will too." Ikuyo said. "It's partly my fault." She added. "Those youkai were after me. Not her."

"You need to rest your ankle. Here." Dr. Tofu slid a chair and she plopped down on it. 

"I can cook for you guys." She offered.

"If you would like." Tofu said as he walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "The kitchen, if you need it, is in the back through that door." He pointed to the door in the back.

"Thank you." Ikuyo whispered as she watched Akane doze.

*--*--*

I update finally!!! Aren't you wonderfully glad?!

I'm glad I've got reviews. I hope I get 100+ at least for this story!

Ne way…

Can't wait for the next chapter:

**Chapter 9: Recovering**


	10. Chapter 9: Recovering

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma and co…

A/N: I'm back! Sorry 'bout the long wait…I have school and it's hard as ever and a kid just died from a head injury so I've been kinda in low spirit's too. I watched the 'Exorcist' and it's not something you wanna write after.

*--*--*

Chapter 9: Recovering 

"I want Sushi!"

"Ikuyo-chan! Calm down!"

"You haven't given me anything to eat since I got here!"

"Please…be quiet."

"C'mon! What are you hiding anyway?"

"Please! You upset it."

"Upset what?

There was a cracking noise and…well…the wall was gone a second later. 

"What…what was that?" Ikuyo asked as she blinked and landed on the chair, proceeding in falling on her face in pain.

"Ikuyo…-chan?" Dr. Tofu stared at the girl.

"Owchie!"

He helped her up and placed her back on her futon. 

"Why is there a bomb in my apartment?" she asked weakly.

"I don't know. I sensed it before though." He said quietly. "Stay in bed. I have to get back to Akane-chan."

"Bring back food!" she called.

He waved as he descended the stairs.

*--*--*

Akane was still sleeping. She hadn't moved an inch.

"'What I don't know is…why the youkai attacked.'" Ikuyo had said when she visited yesterday. "'I don't remember being on a youkai's shit list.'"

Ranma sighed as he flipped over a piece of paper she had handed him. The wise words of Ikuyo didn't quite help in the long run. He still hadn't opened it.

"'Open this if you're at a loss of words with Akane-chan. It's not all mushy 'cause I know you hate that but it'll make her feel better 'bout herself.'" She had said.

He sighed again as he looked over at the girl. She rolled over finally as her hand fell over the edge of the bed. It was the first time she wasn't restless in her sleep.

He stared at her intensely. For once it was pleasant to just sit back and watch her. She wasn't yelling her head off or plummeting her with a mallet or her fists. 

A smile tugged at his lips. Then a sweat drop as he watched drool dripped across from her mouth.

*--*--*

"Ma'am…the youkai was sent."

"Good."

"Is Ryuukuyo still going?"

"I think he is." Kiyoja tapped her nail's lazily against the wooden boards of the dojo. "Ryuukuyo!" she finally yelled.

There was a crash, a thump, a squeal, and a groan as the door was thrown open.

"Hai, Kiyoja-san?" the boy asked. He was small, about five to seven years old. He had short black hair that fell into his eyes. He wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He smiles boyishly at the woman.

"Get over here Ryuukuyo!" she snapped.

He ran over frightened and stood before her with his head bowed. 

"Ryuukuyo! Why were you making such a ruckus?! You could've told that dim-wit of a husband where I am!" she yelled as she backhanded him ((Bitch!)).

He looked up, his eye's swimming with unshed tears. He wiped them away on his arm and turned away.

"Why are you so mean, mommy?"

*--*--*

Dr. Tofu entered Akane's room to check on her. Noticing that the light was off he flipped it on to see Ranma falling sideways off his chair sleeping and Akane with the covers all over.

He rose and eyebrow as he walked over and fixed the blanket's for her.

He knelt next to Ranma to place him on the couch or something when something caught his eye. There was a piece of paper crumpled up in his hand.

He shrugged the feeling of intruding on the letter and hoisted the martial artist over his shoulder as her left Akane's room.

*--*--*

Ryuukuyo slid from the dojo and walked slowly toward a shed in the backyard. He pulled open the door and slipped inside. A second later, he walked out holding a small ball in his hands. It was silver, transparent and beautiful…that is until he smashed it to the ground.

When the light stopped glowing he picked up a shard of the crystal ball and inserted it into his ankles.

He pushed off and by the time his jump wore off he was surging through the sky toward Japan.

A swarm of demons followed in his wake as they all traveled for the distant continent and their destination.

*--*--*

"How are you felling, Akane-chan?" Ikuyo asked as she blew on the cup of tea she was balancing on her finger.

"Fine. Just very very sore." Akane said as she lightly poked a bruise on her arm.

"So…erm…how's Ranma-kun been with you?" Ikuyo asked slyly.

"Oh…I've been asleep most of the time. I haven't really talked to him. He was nice when I woke up. Well…as nice as Ranma can get."

"Mm." Ikuyo hummed as she took a sip of her tea and slammed it down. "Akane-chan! Who are you waiting for?!" she said sternly.

The shorthaired girl blinked and slightly hid her face behind the teacup. "Waiting for?" she echoed. Her face twisted in anger. "What do you mean waiting for?!"

"What are you waiting for? A man to just come knocking at your door saying 'I wanna date you'!" Ikuyo said loudly.

"Kuno already does that!"

"Not Kuno! A normal guy…strong through." she added. 

"I don't know…" Akane calmed down a bit and placed her cup down. 

"What kinda guy are you…ahem…INERESTED IN?!" her voice got louder.

"What's up with you?" Akane looked suspiciously at her.

"Hm…it seems we aren't the only one's awake are we?!" she lifted the table and threw it at the door.

Underneath it was Ranma and Dr. Tofu.

"Sorry, Ono." She grunted as she lifted up the unconscious Ranma. He made the quickest recovery though, seeing that he had time to squeal as she punched him into the sky.

*--*--*

"Ikuyo-chan. This is how you'll never recover." Dr. Tofu said as he wrapped her arm up once again.

"I forget, kay?" she muttered and winced as he pulled tighter one hr shattered boned arm. "Akane-chan, like I was asking. What kin of guy do you want anyway?" she asked softly this time.

"A nice, but tough one. You know, someone like Dr. Tofu." Akane smiled at the doctor/chiropractor/martial artist.

"No…really? He's so dull." She said as she looked sidelong at the doctor.

"Ikuyo!" Akane scolded.

"I think…wouldn't you want excitement?" she asked as she looked up at Akane. 

Akane sat huffily down on the chair as she glared at Ikuyo. "What are you getting at?" she growled.

"Well…y'know…you never show interest in guy's…ever and-."

"They're all jerks." Akane interrupted.

Ikuyo stared at the girl. "So…a few kick's and slaps and punches and they're all ready on the road to…semi-respect for you." she said proudly.

"Are you hinting…at Ranma?" Akane said as she stared suspiciously at the martial artist.

"Uh…" Ikuyo pulled her arm out of Dr. Tofu's grip. "Thanks Ono. Sorry I said that 'bout you bein' dull. It's just a game I'm playin'." she winked at the doctor. Obviously he understood and he walked out of the room. 

"Take care, Ikuyo-chan, Akane-chan." He left.

"Listen Akane, I care for Ranma, I love him dearly but…y'know…I have someone already."

"What?!" Akane looked….happy?

"Yeah…" Ikuyo turned around and headed for the door. "I gotta get back. I got lesson's to teach." She winked at Akane and left the room.

"She's…taken?" Akane muttered. She smiled slightly.

*--*--*--*

Okay! I updated!!! Finally! Thanks everyone for the comforting reviews. I can't wait till I reach the 100+ point!!

Anyway, next chapter:

Chapter 10:Ryuukuyo's Entrance 


	11. Chapter 10: Ryuukuyo's Entrance

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma and co….

*--*--*

My long awaited chapter!!

Chapter 10:Ryuukuyo's Entrance 

"There?"

"Hai, oshou-sama."

"But it's just a child."

"I sense a powerful youki emanating off him." Youki-evil power…demon power.

The old man looked questioningly at the woman. Her eyes were staring intently at the small injured boy. 

Her red hair was done in a braid over her shoulder and she wore a tight dark red Chinese shirt. Around her waist was a yellow sash and a sword hanging off. Her pants were dark blue and tied at the bottom. Her eyes were a violet color and on her hands she wore a metal covering over her pointer and middle. On her right had she had her thumb covered with the same covering.

"Lo-Mein…" he murmured as he shook his head. "Do as you please."

"Thank you, oshou-sama." She said seriously as she picked up the boy and entered her room.

*--*--*

"Ranma! Wait!" Akane called after him. "Where are you going anyway?!"

Ranma ignored her as he raced down the street, skidding to a stop in front of Ucchan's.

"Aww….it's closed." He said in a disappointed voice.

"OI! Ranma-kun!" Ikuyo called.

Akane growled as eh grabbed his sleeve. "You're coming home! You said you'd help fix the spare room for our guest, who is by the way coming in about an hour." She said in a low, dangerous voice.

"Oh come off it, Akane-chan. Let the guy have a bite. Come on Ranma-kun." Ikuyo said as she pulled him by his braid. He happily complied.

Akane growled as she ran at the old woman with the water bucket. "Then please! GO right ahead!" she yelled as she threw the bucket of water at Ranma's head, drenching him from head to toe

"Oh dare, Ranma-kun, you'll have to change your clothes…use mine!" Ikuyo said happily as she pulled onna-Ranma along with her.

"Fine! Go! See if I care!!" Akane huffed as she turned and walked toward home.

"Tendo Akane?" a weak voice called out to her.

Akane turned slightly toward an alley next to her. Still angry she grabbed a trashcan and threw it into the alley making a few cats meow and run. 

"Tendo Akane, such brute strength alone. Might you be angry?" the voice taunted on.

Akane took a step forward, getting in a slight fighting stance just in case something attacked. "Who are you?" she asked cautiously.

A small figure stepped out, a young boy with short brown hair and cut's all over his body.

"I'm Ryuukuyo." He said sweetly as he smiled up at her. "Nice to meet you, Tendo Akane. I'm the guest at the Tendo Dojo." 

"Ryuukuyo?" Akane stared at the boy. "Are you lost? You can follow me, that's where I'm going." She offered nicely, forgetting her angry mood and crouching down in front of him, her dress covering her feet and her bag in her hand loosely.

"I would love that…a bunch." He smiled as she took his hand and led him toward the dojo.

*--*--*

"So…" Ikuyo watched as Ranma wolfed down a bowl of instant ramen, then turned to the okonomiyaki she had tried to make out of request. 

"This is good!" he said happily as he turned to a plate of pickle's.

"So…Ranma-kun…how has it been…between you and Akane-chan?" she asked softly, knowing all to well that he would probably deny it if she asked straight and forward.

Ranma ignored the question for a second to swallow down a cup of tea then looked down almost thoughtfully at the counter of the instrumental shop.

"Akane? She's…" he smiled slightly and turned to Ikuyo with a very goofy look on his face. "And uncute, clumsy, tomboy!" He stood and stretched. "Why?"

Ikuyo clenched the trey she held until it snapped in half. "Ranma…-kun?" he voice was strained.

"Yes?" he stared at her nervously.

"You're an unhandsome man-woman, with no sense of fashion, and an attitude like an old grumpy man!" she yelled as she pulled her clarinet off her back. "Get some sensitivity!!" she yelled before playing a very sour note on her clarinet.

Ranma covered his ears and a gust of wind swept him up, hitting him with as much power as Akane's, Shampoo's, and Ukyou's punches.

*--*--*

"I'm home! Kasumi-onee-chan!" she called as she and Ryuukuyo took off their shoes.

Kasumi stepped out. "Nani, Akane?" her eyes fell on the little boy. "Ah! Our guest is early!" she stepped down and smiled at the little boy. "My name is Tendo Kasumi."

"Ryuukuyo, Kasumi-san." He said, an innocent blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Akane, can you let him stay in your room for now? Only until we get the room finished." Kasumi asked the younger girl.

"Alright." Akane led the small boy up the stairs to her room and closed the door.

"Tendo Akane…are you prepared?" his voice seemed to grow older as he stood behind her.

Akane turned slowly as her eyes grew wide.

Ryuukuyo snapped and a form from the darkness of the young martial artist's room.

It pinned her to the door soundlessly and pressed three points on Akane's body with metal fingers.

Akane gasped as the fingers dug deep.

They pulled back as she stood straight, her eyes glazed over and her arms at her sides.

"Thank you, Lo-Mein." Ryuukuyo said but was stopped short as his chest was punched why the same metal fingers that had pierce Akane.

"Lo…Mein…" he stared at the woman before him.

Akane looked up with the last of her controlled consciousness. "R…Ranma?" the woman's red hair in it's braid and her clothing threw her off and before she could look carefully here eyes covered completely with a glazed brown.

*--*--*--*

Was that a bad chapter? I know I know…too short, right? Anyway, I hope I get my old reviewers back. Hope hope hope hope…

Anyway, next chapter:

Chapter 11: Hitting the Pressure Points 


	12. Chapter 11: Hitting the Pressure Points

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma and co…

*--*--*

Chapter 11: Hitting the Pressure Points 

"Akane!" Kasumi ascended the stairs to her younger sisters room. "Akane, dinner's ready." She knocked on the door.

No reply.

"Akane?" turning the knob she looking around the room.

The door flung open wider, out of the eldest sisters hand to reveal Akane, leaning against the doorframe. The door bounced off the wall.

"Aka-." Kasumi's eyes went wide.

Akane smirked as her sister fell limp. The youngest sisters fingers planted in her chest and back.

She let Kasumi fall to the ground and turned to the door, the dress of her uniform whipping over the unconscious body of her sister.

"Sayonara, onee-chan."

*--*--*

"Ranma-kun, something's up, go check on Kasumi and Akane." Nabiki said as she flipped a page of her magazine.

"Okay…" Ranma stood and walked out of the room and up the stairs to Akane's room. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. "Akane? Kasu-." He looked down as his foot hit something. 

Kasumi lay at his feet in a ball. He picked her up and ran out of the room, the door closing behind him.

*--*--*

"It's so cold out! I gotta close up early." Ukyou rubbed her hands together and turned off the grill as she shut the windows and brought the sign in. 

"Wait!" 

"Huh? Ryoga?" she watched as he ran down the street toward her. "What's the matter?"

Ryoga stopped in front of her and looked inside. "May I ask to stay here for the night?" he asked politely.

"Uh…I guess…" she said reluctantly.

"Thank you, Ukyou-san." He bowed awkwardly and stepped inside.

*--*--*

"No…no put your pinky there…no not there! Put it--don't foam at me!" Ikuyo slapped her students' arm lightly.

"Sorry." He muttered. "But my friend said you could fight with your clarinet. I wanna learn!" he whined.

"No." she said sternly.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No, Yoshiro!" she yelled. "I'd teach you but your serious about the actual instrument. If you really wished to be a instrumental martial artist then you need to first be devoted to the instrument, treat it as your best friend, take showers with it, clean it every day." She said passionately.

"Take showers?" he looked up at his teacher. "Ikuyo, where did you learn your fighting techniques?"

"Yoshiro." Her voice threatened him.

"Where?"

"Yoshiro! Play the chromatic b scale, now!" she yelled.

"Hai…"

*--*--*

"What happened to her?" Soun asked. His face streamed with tears. "Ranma-kun! You should've protected her!"

"How could I've known she was gettin' attacked?!" Ranma defended himself.

The door slid open slowly. Akane stepped out.

"Akane, Kasumi is—Akane?" Nabiki walked over to her younger sister. "Akane?" she waved her hand in front of her face.

Akane's hands shot out and grabbed her sisters' wrist, pressing hard and pushing a place on her neck as well. Nabiki's eyes rolled to the back of her head and her fell to the ground.

"Akane!" Soun wailed as he burst into more tears.

Akane turned her lifeless eyes to him.

"D-Don't look at me l-like that Akane! I'm your father! Akane!" she stepped forward and lunged forward but Ranma stepped forward and grabbed her around the waist and wrists.

"Akane, what's gotten into you?!" he yelled at her.

"Ran—ma….help…me…" a small voice whispered. It sounded distant and in pain.

"Akane?" her body twisted and her hands shot forward.

Ranma dodged her quick attacks.

"Ranma-kun! I came to bring you some—Akane-chan!" Ikuyo dropped her bag as she looked on.

"Ikuyo! Can you…see…what's wrong…with Akane?!" he called out to her between dodges.

"Hai!" Ikuyo pulled some reeds out of their holders and threw them at the attacking martial artist.

Akane was pinned instantly to the floor, her body writhing.

"Ranma, hold her legs!" Ikuyo ordered.

"Right." Ranma grabbed her knees and knelt on her feet to keep her from kicking the two other martial artists.

Ikuyo knelt by Akane's head and grabbed her chin, pulling it roughly toward hers. She looked closely into the girls' eyes and gasped. She dug into her pockets until she pulled out a thing of cork grease she rubbed it on her eyelids and held them closed, then she pulled out a small glass bottle with violet powder in it.

Akane's hand shot out from pinning reeds and her fingers stabbed Ranma on the hand. Her fingers buried deep into his hand. He winced but held fast until her whole fingers disappeared. He yelped and pulled away.

"Uh-oh…" Ikuyo jumped backward. "Tendo-san, run!" she yelled to Soun.

"My Akane…" he was gone in an instant though.

Ikuyo pulled her clarinet halfway off her back and got in a fighting stance.

Ranma nursed his bleeding hand.

"That's the worst pressure point to hit. It hurts like hell." Ikuyo called over to him.

He recovered quickly and got in a fighting stance as well next to Ikuyo. "What's up with her?" he asked with concern.

"She's being controlled! She's hitting the painful pressure points in people's bodies to knock them out and sap their energy for herself. It's a dangerous technique in ancient Chinese scriptures I've been forced to read and it's not something that is easily cured." Ikuyo dodged as Akane lunged forward toward her. Her eyes snapped open and the Vaseline substance slid off her face like tears of a child. "It's a very hard curse to reverse and it takes intensive weeks of watching and containing the victim. Sometimes they don't even live." 

Ranma jumped upward and dodged Akane's fast hands. "Why?!" he yelled.

"Their will to live is too weak!" Akane's fingers swiped across her face leaving a deep and long gash.

"Let's take this outside, Ranma!" Ikuyo called as she pulled her clarinet fully of her back and impaled the round end into Akane's stomach sending her flying into a tree outside.

Ranma glared at her momentarily and jumped out of the house as well.

Akane fell slightly and caught herself on her hands before her face hit the ground. She jumped upward and landed in a tree limb. Instantly she propelled off, impaling her fists into Ikuyo's stomach. 

Ikuyo coughed up blood as she was thrown backwards into the pond. When she emerged in her dog form she sputtered a bit, blood trailed behind her in the pool.

"Ikuyo…" Ranma turned his gaze from the unconscious puppy to his "fiancé". "I'll help you, Akane, so just trust me." He whispered as he lunged forward and rapidly punched her in the stomach until she sputtered a bit like Ikuyo had and fell against his arm.

He smirked and held that position for a while.

"You—haven't….won yet." Her bloody hand grasped his wrist and pulled it out of her abdomen area, then lifted him upward by his hand and threw him upward, releasing him.

Ranma's eyes went wide as she jumped up after him.

"Sayonara, Ranma-kun." Her fingers connected with his throat and bleeding hand.

"A-Akane…" he eyes closed slowly and he fell unconscious in mid air.

*--*--*

Ikuyo gained consciousness as Akane threw Ranma up into the air.

She gasped and ran as fast as her exhausted body could move her. She pulled a pot of hot step from dinner and dropped it on top of herself as she grew to her normal self. She pulled on her clothes that she had dragged with her and ran out just in time to catch the unconscious Ranma before he hit the ground.

"Ranma!" she shook him lightly then looked upward as Akane landed ungracefully. Her eyes closed slowly and she fell backward, slipping on the wet rocks Ikuyo had climbed up on and into the pond.

Ikuyo lied Ranma down and fished the unconscious girl out of the water.

"Kiyoja's at work here…you'll pay, bitch, you'll pay." Ikuyo clenched her bleeding hands around her clarinet, the keys piercing her skin from the strength she held. 

"Surely you would realize she isn't working by herself." A voice called.

Ikuyo twirled around and met the warm brown eyes of a woman her height.

She wore a white gi and red hakama with a katana at her waist. She had a welcoming air about her. She had a stalk of something in her hair. An herb from the strong smell that wafted off. Her long black hair was over her shoulder in white ribbon. It looked like silk ribbons as it slipped around her creamy face. 

"Who are you?" Ikuyo asked cautiously.

"Not the enemy if that's what you're thinking. I am a miko. Kaira. Yuri no Miko." She bowed politely and smiled. "I'm here to help. Let's bring them inside." She pointed to the two unconscious martial artists.

"Hai." Ikuyo grabbed Akane and limped inside where the two women placed their charges on futons in Akane's empty room.

"This girl is cursed, I'll help with that." Kaira pulled the herb branch from behind her ear. "This is manjushage." She informed the musician.

Ikuyo just simply nodded and held her arm across her stomach. She wiped her mouth of blood and felt her vision blur.

"Reifujin?" she heard the miko question as she fell backward.

*--*--*--*--*

Reifujin- Lady

Manjushage- red spider lily

Miko- priestess

Yuri no Miko- Priestess of Lily

Sayonara- goodbye (Duh!)

*

A/N: Okay! Sorry for the long lack of updates. I got some motivating reviews like:

You better update or I'll kill you!!!

Threaten me? Okay…that's a little extreme but it worked! Great job!

I have to say this chapter was fun to write. I can't wait till the next chapter. I hope you all like it so far and I'll try and update faster. I have PMS and a cold so…I've been grouchy lately.

Anyway, next chapter:

Chapter 12: I'm Sorry, Akane 


	13. Chapter 12: I'm Sorry, Akane

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma-kun and co…nor Akane, nor Ukyou, nor Ryoga, nor Shampoo, nor Cologne, nor Kasumi, nor Nabiki, so on and so forth. I do own Ikuyo, Kiyoja, Koyaga, Ryuukuyo, Lo Mein, and Kaira.

*--*--*

Chapter 12: I'm Sorry, Akane 

Ranma opened his eyes slowly to be greeted by the overpowering smell of burning herbs and something roughly matching Akane's cooking. He sat up slowly and looked around. He was in his room. His blanket slipped to his lap as he looked over to his father. Genma was snoring and biting his pillow as usual, muttering something about free food and such. He stood and stretched, not an ache in his body.

Putting on some clothes, he walked down the hallway and into the dining room where Soun was reading the paper and Nabiki was turning pages in a colorful magazine. She wore around the house clothes so he guessed there was no school. The distinct smell of Akane's cooking brought him to the kitchen where his arranged 'fiancé' hummed as she stirred a bowl of something. It didn't look like the correct thickness to be anything edible and yet she seemed not to notice. A time rang and she placed down the bowl. She went eagerly toward the oven and opened it. Ranma smiled slightly as he saw the excitement growing on her face. She pulled out the tray and smiled as the round balls of dough revealed themselves to be perfectly brown and edible looking. 

He took a step forward to say something but his voice didn't come.

She placed the tray on the counter and pocked it with a chopstick. It deflated in an instant wafting off an enormously gagging smell.

Ranma put a hand to his nose to block out the smell. She frowned and nit her eyebrows in frustration as she dumped them into the garbage can at her feet. She ran a hand through her hair and stopped short as her glanced toward Ranma. Her hand clutched her stomach and she started sputtering.

Ranma ran over to help her and when he reached out to touch her his arm fell through. By now her sputtering had turned to coughing up blood and small puddle formed at her feet.

"Akane…" his minds voice whispered. "Akane, please don't die." It grew louder. "Akane!!" he was screaming she couldn't hear him.

No one was coming to save her, help her in the illness that was taking her over. She collapsed in her own pool of blood. 

"AKANE!!!"

*--*--*

"Akane!!" Ranma jumped up out of his futon.

"Ranma-kun, be careful." Ikuyo's voice said quietly. Her voice was weak and frail sounding.

He glanced over at her. She was in traditional clothes of a Chinese noblewoman. She seemed depressed about something.

"Ikuyo…how are feeling?" he asked awkwardly.

"Better, a lot better. Kaira is…I need to go back to China for something. I won't be back for a while. I would really wish for you and Akane-chan to come as well but…in the state she's in…I don't want to risk her dying."

"I'm back!" a voice said loudly.

Ranma jumped as Kaira set down a tray of strong smelling herbs. "Oh, your awake!" she yelled.

"Keep it down, Kaira." Ikuyo whined as she covered her nose from the stench.

"Sorry…oh dear. You're awake. It's going to be terrible for you to take these herbs if you're awake." The girl put a finger to her lips. "Ah!" she pulled out a little hammer and clonked him on the head, knocking the skilled martial artist unconscious.

*--*--*

Ranma entered darkness once again. It was a calm darkness though. Nothing happened, no nightmares, no dreams, nothing…well…that didn't last.

He felt something slip into his hand. He looked downward into the darkness to the see the wooden floors of the dojo. His hand came into focus to reveal another intertwined with it. His gaze slowly traveled upward as it covered over a yellow cotton sleeve and a body clothed as well in yellow with the blue pattern of stars and moons. His face finally reached the top to see Akane leaning over him, her face dripping with tears.

"Ranma! Ranma don't leave! You can't! Ranma!!" she was yelling but her voice only sounded like a faint whisper, so distanced and far. "Ranma!!"

"I-I'm sorry, A-Akane. I couldn't…p-protect y-you from the c-curse." He whispered his thoughts. It hurt to speak.

"What are you talking about, idiot?" she laughed but then her face slipped and she was crying once again. "Ranma…I lov--."

"AHHH!!" he jumped once again. He was panting and covered in sweat.

"Oh my, he came to even quicker then before." Kaira's voice sounded from behind him. 

"Ranma, you'll hurt yourself." Ikuyo said as she pulled him into a sitting position again.

"H-How's Akane?" he asked shakily.

"She's still out of it. That fall knocked a lot out of her." Ikuyo said.

"She fell?"

"It the pond, yes, after I caught you. I fished her out but…she hasn't come to since. We have to work fast if we want to cure her." Ikuyo rubbed her arm subconsciously and stared glassy eyed at the floor. 

Ranma grabbed her by the shoulders. "How do we cure her?" he asked seriously.

"It's an herb in China. That's why I'm sending Ikuyo back to the capitol. The herb is in the hands of a very powerful empress." Kaira said as she stirred a weird concoction and dished it into a small cup. She lifted the unconscious Akane upward a bit and put the cup to her parted lips, emptying the concoction down her throat.

Ranma sighed as he turned his eyes away. It hurt too much to watch.

"Ranma…I'm so sorry I got you all mixed up in my problems. I'm so sorry…" Ikuyo said softly. "But you have to help me. Even if we have to take Akane-chan. Onegai, Ranma-kun?" she grabbed his hands.

Ranma stared at his childhood friend. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and it made his heart tear. She was blaming herself for all the things that had happened. "M-Maybe…" he whispered uncharacteristically.

*--*--*

Ranma sat next to the still unconscious Akane and thought. _If we go back to China…maybe we can find a quicker way of curing Akane_, he thought_, and maybe we can stop at Jusenkyo._

A smile crept across his lips and he laughed quietly.

Akane shifted and he stared at her quickly.

"Ra-Ra-Ranma…he-help…me…" her voice trailed off as her face filled with pain.

Ranma held her hand hesitantly. "I'm so sorry, Akane. I'm sorry…" he closed his eyes. "Why'd they pick you? Why didn't…why didn't they pick me or somethin'?"

*--*--*

"Are you ready, Ranma?" Ikuyo asked as she stood near the gates of the dojo in her traditional Chinese outfit from earlier that morning.

Ranma hoisted Akane farther up his back and walked out toward her. "Yeah."

"Cheer up, Ranma. Akane's only exhausted. If we're lucky and she stays unconscious for the whole trip then we won't have to deal with those hands a hers." She winked and turned on her heel. "I booked us a space on a ship. No use swimmin' across the oceans and seas just to meet the empress, ne?"

"Right."

Ikuyo jumped up onto the roof of the gate to the dojo and ran down. Ranma quickly followed after her flowing many layers.

I'll help you, Akane. I swear it! Don't give up! I'll save you…

*--*--*

"Mama…Mama…Mama…"

"What is it, Ryuukuyo?!" Kiyoja yelled down at the young boy.

"Mama, I'm sorry. I failed you and you…you had to bring me back." He sniffed again.

"It's Lo Mein's fault. LO MEIN!!"

Nothing.

"Lo Mein?"

Nothing.

"Where is that damned ninja?" she tapped her nails against the wood of her chair.

"Ma'am, we have captured the Empress as ordered, as well as the ninja from Nerima, Sasuke." A young girl bowed in front of Kiyoja. "Ikuyo, Ranma-san, Akane-san, and Kaira are heading this way." She added.

"Miyo, attack them. Stall for time until I've set up…my plans."

"Hai, Kiyoja-sama." The girl lifted her head. 

"Uh…take the form of Ranma-san. This will be quite interesting." Kiyoja stood; her long thin white dress flowed to her black Chinese shoes. She wore a red over coat and the white dress over lapped at the top. A yellow sash was around her waist and a white shimmering cloth was draped around her shoulders.

Three groups of woman marched in and placed the Empress in her nightgown at the feet of the ice sorceress.

"Kiyoja-sama." They all bowed to one knee, their various weapons' handles tapped to the ground, their tips in the air.

Kiyoja swept passed Miyo, the now exact copy of girl Ranma, and knelt in front of the Empress. She tilted up the woman's pale face and swiped away some of her black hair. She pressed her lips to the unconscious woman's own and started changing. Her hair turned to black and her clothing was that of the Empresses own. She pulled away to leave the shriveled mess of the Empress at her dainty feet and gestured for Ryuukuyo to follow her.

"Miyo," her voice was smooth and gentle, "remember your orders. Attack Ikuyo and Ranma. Akane will do the rest." With that she swept out of the dark throne room but stopped with her hand on the handle to shut the door. "And find Lo Mein. I wish to know of her betrayal and why." She slammed the door behind her and Ryuukuyo.

*--*--*

"Ranma?" Ikuyo stared at the martial artist. He had been sprayed with water and was now onna Ranma. "Ranma-chan? Are you listening?" 

Ranma stared off into the distance. "Do you think we'll find Akane a cure? An instant cure?"

"I'm not sure. The effects are hard to begin with. Akane-chan…she has a strong will, I can tell you that much." Ikuyo clutched the railing of the ship and stared off into the distance as Ranma was doing. "I'm so sorry, Ranma. It's my fault Akane-chan has been a target. She's been hurt so much…all because…of my own family problems." She shook with anger. "But I really don't understand why Kiyoja wants me!"

Ranma snapped her gaze to the girl. "You don't?!"

"I don't! Ever since I was young girl…I was a seamstresses assistant. We would steal linen and silk cloths for her greatest works…"

*--*Flashback*--*

Young Ikuyo walked with her small hand in the palm of the seamstresses own. She wore a red over coat the buttoned down the middle and a white underlying dress that flowed down her arms. She wore her brown hair in the traditional loops all the young girls were wearing. 

She skipped after the seamstress who was gently pulling her along. Her black Chinese shoes padded lightly against the gravel of the busy streets of Gonghe Qinghai, China (Near where Jusenkyo is supposed to be). She clutched the round and tall column of silk, hidden by a very gaudy red sheet with pink sequins sewed into the fabric. She shook slightly, it wasn't fun to be smuggling stolen silk from the palace. She glance up at the seamstress who was looking very casual, a learned cover-up for the nervousness that was probably wracking her body at the moment.

She sniffed as tears ran down her cheeks. Someone was following them. She could feel its eyes on the two smugglers backs.

"Mmm…Otama-san? Otama-san? Someone's…following." She whispered.

"Shh…just ignore it." Otama whispered back. "Ikuyo, let's pick up the pace."

"Hai, Otama-san."

The two turned around and headed into a dark ally. Otama opened a door inside the wall and stepped inside.

"Set it over there and I'll lock the doors. We'll stare right away, Ikuyo-chan." Otama closed the door tightly and pulled the heavy metal bolt to close the door tightly. She leaned her head against it before helping the seven-year-old Ikuyo unravel the heavy silk.

"You've grown so strong, Ikuyo. I could never pick this thing up." Otama smiled.

"Arigato." Ikuyo blushed and helped flip the spool of silk over and over until it was folded neatly on the long table.

They started sewing immediately.

*--*--*

While looking up at the ceiling of the seamstresses' large and elegant house, Ikuyo thought. Nothing important, just thoughts normal young girls of seven thought of. She lifted her head when a crash sounded. "Otama-san?" she called out through the darkness.

"I-Ikuyo-ch-chan. Stay in y-your r-room." Her voice stammered.

"Otama-san?!"

(Translated to Japanese for easier understanding) 

"Reitou Shigo!!" a voice roared.

"AHHH!!" a blue light rained down on Ikuyo's bed and lit up the room. She watched in the dim light as Otama shrieked and fell to the ground.

"O-Otama-san!!" Ikuyo jumped up but was thrown back by a powerful hand. She was knocked against the wall of her room.

"Stay back, Ikuyo. Or else I'll be forced to put the same fate to you as your teacher." A chilling voice chided.

"Wh-Who are you?" Ikuyo asked.

The person turned revealing only piercing blue eyes. They were like ice, freezing her very soul. "I am Kiyoja, Ikuyo. Remember my beautiful name, little girl."

*--*End Flashback*--*

"Ranma-kun…I wanna ask her. She's really…starting to get on my nerves. She's…always been there with me…not in a good way. Oh, Ranma-kun! Why'd it have to be this way?!" she buried her head in his shoulder.

Ranma awkwardly patted her back and tried to sooth her. "I-Iku-chan…I promise…I'll save Akane. I gotta. I can't let her down." She whispered as she looked out to toward the sea once again.

"Arigato, Ranma." Ikuyo smiled up at her. 

After a few moments of staring off at sea again Ikuyo stared over at the other girl. "Ranma, I just wanna say…I love you like a brother…and a sister. I was just trying to bust Akane's chops but…I already got someone. Koyaga…" she looked back at sea. "He's so precious to me but…I really wish I could see him again."

"Koyaga? Who's that?" Ranma asked absently.

"Another martial artist."

"I should have a fight with him…" Ranma muttered as she held on tightly onto the railing.

"We're almost here, Ranma." Ikuyo said as she turned and headed for the exit where many people where gathering.

Ranma went into his cabin and picked up Akane, then followed Ikuyo off the boat.

*--*--*--*

Okay!! I promised to post today and I am!! So here this chapter was. Was it good? Anyway…next chapter:

Chapter 13: Ranma vs Ranma 


	14. Chapter 13: Ranma vs Ranma

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma and co…

*--*--*

Chapter 13: Ranma vs Ranma 

"Saotome Ranma. Psst!!" someone whispered as Ikuyo and Ranma no onna passed with Akane in her arms.

Ranma turned slightly as she stopped. "Who's there?"

"Look up, dear." Ranma obeyed hesitantly to see a short form standing on the limb of a tree. It wore a dull brown cloak covering its whole body except its eyes. The form pulled down the cloth to free its mouth as it jumped down. "Saotome Ranma, Ikuyo! I kill!!" the form lifted it's dainty hand and flung it. 

Ikuyo blocked Ranma and Akane with her arms covering her face.

"Oops…uh….I mean….tricked ya!!" the form jumped up once again and released the cloak revealing…Ranma?!

"Ranma-kun…what are you doing there?" Ikuyo asked.

"That ain't me!!" Ranma yelled as she placed Akane against a nearby tree and got in front of Ikuyo.

The Ranma-copy seemed disappointed as she opened her palm. In a small black of pink puff a gray pail was resting in her palm. "That form will not do, Ranma-kun."

"Huh?" the pail fell from her hand. Ranma-chan jumped out of the way but a second pail hit her over the head, showering her with steaming water.

"Ranma-kun…" Ikuyo stepped toward him but jumped back as he growled and ripped the bucket off his head. 

"You wanna fight me?! Then c'mon!" he got in a stance. The girl did as well.

"Ready, Ranma-kun?" she smiled. 

Ranma glared up at the copy but said nothing.

She smiled nad lunged forward, her hands fast as she punched him across the face and landed on one hand on his head before doing a handspring and landing on the limb of a tree.

"I…" Ikuyo shook slightly as she wrung her hand tightly. "I…know this-." A hand shot out, slicing across her cheek.

She turned slowly, in shock as she stared at the offender. Akane stood, her eyes glazed over and her face expressionless.

"A-Akane-chan?" her cheek dripped with blood from where the girls' nails had sliced across.

"Akane?!" Ranma turned quickly to catch a glimpse of her but was grabbed by the shoulders and flipped over Ranma-copy's head. His back slammed into a tree. He quickly recovered and fought with undivided attention once more.

"Akane-chan? Doushite? Tell me?" she whispered as hse backed away from the possessed girl. 

Akane charged forward, planting a fist in Ikuyo's stomacha nd lifting her upward. Her other fist joined in and launched the Clarinet Martial artist into the sky.

Blood dripped from the stunned Ikuyo's mouth but hse recovered quickly and pulled her clarinet off her back. She pulled the mouth-piece off the clarinet and blew hard, the loud squeak turnede to an airy and soothing sound, making Akane sway in place. She shook her head ot clear herself and jumped upward with amazing speed, jumping from tree branch to tree branch until she got to where Ikuyo had landed, hanging from a branch by her hand, the other blowing hard into the mouthpiece. A sort of glass shattering squeak erupted formt he mouth-piece once more. Akane seemed unfazed but when she reached out to attack, Ikuyo's clarinet was firmly planted into her stomach.

She was pushed to the ground, shortly followed by fastening reeds that held her fast to the tree she had slammed into.  
Ikuyo landed on the ground and lifted her hands. "Ready, Akane-chan? Time to leave this place." She firmly placed her mouthpiece back onto the clarinet's body and held it above her head. "Boushi-shukketsushi!" the clarinet stopped in mid attack.

_"Akane-chan, like I was asking. What kind of guy do you want anyway?" she asked softly this time._

_"A nice, but tough one. You know, someone like Dr. Tofu." Akane smiled at the doctor/chiropractor/martial artist._

_"No…really? He's so dull." She said as she looked sidelong at the doctor._

_"Ikuyo!" Akane scolded._

_"I think…wouldn't you want excitement?" she asked as she looked up at Akane. _

_Akane sat huffily down on the chair as she glared at Ikuyo. "What are you getting at?" she growled._

_"Well…y'know…you never show interest in guy's…ever and-."_

_"They're all jerks." Akane interrupted._

_Ikuyo stared at the girl. "So…a few kick's and slaps and punches and they're all ready on the road to…semi-respect for you." she said proudly._

_"Are you hinting…at Ranma?" Akane said as she stared suspiciously at the martial artist._

Ikuyo stopped as she fell to her knees. She had given the Icy disease a chance to spread through her body. "Akane-chan…" she shivered as the cold spread through her limbs. "I'm sorry…Akane-chan…I'm so sorry." Her eyes closed slowly as her clarinet slipped form her hands. It crashed to the ground, the keys clattering together. "I'm sorry…Koyaga-kun…I can't…make it…" she whispered as her face turned deathly pale and she fell to the ground.

"Ikuyo!!" Ranma called out to her as he watched her fall to the ground. "Ikuyo!! Iku-chan!!"

Akane slumped against her clarinet reed-restraint. "I-Ikuyo-ch-chan…" she whispered.

"Akane…"

"Remember your opponent?!" Ranma-copy yelled as she planted a Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken into his face.

Ranma grabbed her hands and planted the same Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken into her stomach.

Her mouth spit out something rather unlikable and her hair fell limp revealing long brown hair, which curled at the ends. Her face changed to eyes of a deep forest green but her body size stayed the same.

"Damn…"s he curses loudly as she jumped backward in a triple handspring. "Ranma-kun, you're very good de gozaru. It as more then a privilege to fight you. But…" she stopped as he cast a glance at the muttering Akane and the shivering Ikuyo. "Ikuyo-chan is injured as well as the poor Akane-san…" she looked sad.

"Feh! Why would you care? You're the one fightin' me!" he yelled.

"I never wanted to be apart of Kiyoja's army but…time's have been bad here de gozaro yo. I'm sorry, Ranma-san."

"W-Wait….Miyo-chan…" Ikuyo's frail whisper came. 

"Ikuyo-chan?" the girl named Miyo was by Ikuyo's side in an instant.

"Thank…you…for helping….Akane-chan…"

"It's alright…de gozaro." Miyo smiled. "Lo Mein and I work together, ne Lo Mein-chan?"

"Hai…" she seemed to appear out of no where. Lo Mein's hair was over her shoulder in a tight braid of fiery red. 

"Where's the ninja…Sasuki or somethin'…" Miyo said as she stood and produced a brown red and blue cloak like Lo Mein's own.

"Sasuke…ma'am…" came Sasuke's voice from behind the overbearing Lo Mein.

"Oh yeah…" Miyo jumped upward and in the pink smoke in her palm puffed a little book. "Sasuke…you're the…uh…servant of Kuno Tatewaki…" she sighed. "He's worthless."

Sasuke gasped but said nothing. "Let's take him along…he's such a charm to be around…Kinda cute too." Lo Mein said as she turned with a swirl of red and blue robes.

"You have the worst taste, Lo Mein-chan…well…Take care, Ranma-kun! Akane-chan!" she said as she waved. "Ikuyo-chan! Kill Kiyoja for me!"

"H-Hai…" Ikuyo shivered again but stood slowly.

"Are you okay, Iku-chan?" Ranma asked as he picked up Akane and pushed onto his back.

"Yeah…let's get to the capital, though, before we miss our chance."

*--*--*

"Hmm…I lost Lo Mein's and Miyo's chi…" Kiyoja said quietly.

"What was that, Empress?" her servant asked as they walked down the long corridors of the palace.

"Uh…nothing!!" she said in her fake Empress voice.

"Oh…"

_They're betraying me…I know it!_

"I need to go somewhere…alone!" she said the last part loudly as her servant prepared to follow her.

"Hai, Empress-san." He turned and walked away down the corridor.

Kiyoja jumped out of the window nearest her and landed on a tree branch. Pulling a wooden flute from her pocket, she played a soft tune and was gone in a flash.

*--*--*--*

Was that good? I hope so…anyway…I know that Miyo-chan changed form bad guy to good girl so quickly you probably couldn't catch it but I didn't want her to be evil. Most of the people in Kiyoja's army was…well *SPOILER* made by her.

Anyway, this story is rapidly coming to a close…only about three or four more chapters so…yeah…

Next chapter:

Chapter 14: Spring of Drowned Kiyoja 


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